Volkswagen NMC Concept in Beijing demonstrates MQB flexibility
Having successfully plucked the four-door coupe concept from the premium heights of the Mercedes CLS and popularizing it for the masses with the Passat CC, Volkswagen builds on the idea further with the New Midsize Coupe (NMC) concept car at the Auto China 2014 in Beijing previewing an unnamed future model that packages the four-door coupe bodystyle into dimensions fitting the C-segment.
At 4,597mm long and 1,838mm wide, the NMC is shorter than the Jetta (4,644mm) yet wider than the Passat (1,820mm). Volkswagen officially positions it below the Passat in the model hierarchy, but its mid-sized label indicates D-segment aspirations.
The show car is clad in brilliant ‘Dragon Red’ paintwork with the specific intention of highlighting its muscular stance. The large 20-inch wheels are likely to be complemented by smaller combos in the production model, but the parts-bin door handles (masterfully integrated into the side character line) and intricate lamp cluster details indicate that the series production model can’t be far away from its first roll out.
Powering the NMC is the Golf GTI’s EA888 2.0-litre TSI engine mated to a 7-speed DSG. Volkswagen quotes performance figures of 6.5 seconds for the century sprint and 244kph top speed. Fuel consumption is rated at 6.4 l/100km.
Volkswagen’s new generation MQB platform unsurprisingly provides the underpinnings of the NMC, but its application proves to be the most effective demonstration of the MQB’s flexibility to date; it combines the multifunction sports steering wheel and infotainment system interior module from the Golf with the wider axle module that is being developed for the next-generation Passat. The result of this combination, Volkswagen claims, is a highly spacious cabin and a luggage capacity of 500 litres.
KON
Pictures: Official Volkswagen release.
