The most popular mid-size sedan in the North American market is the Toyota Camry, and later this year we should see an all-new model.

The seventh generation model is set to debut this fall, as indicated by Toyota’s vice-president and general manager Bob Carter.

Toyota sold 327,804 Camry’s last year, and while that would be a huge and successful number for any automaker, it was in fact the lowest tally in Camry’s history since 1994. The current model had been in the market since March 2006.

No details have been given about the new Camry, but expect more of the same with some new clothing. It’s not yet clear if Toyota plans to continue to offer a V6 model, or switch to 4-cylinders only, like Hyundai has done with the new Sonata and Chevy is planning with the Malibu. A new Camry Hybrid will certainly be a part of the model mix.

[Source: Wards Auto]

Volkswagen has released yet another teaser image of its upcoming replacement for the Passat in North America, ahead of the car’s debut at the Detroit Auto Show next week.

While the traditional Passat will live on in Europe, VW has designed this new model to be larger to suit American tastes. It’s also set to be more attractive to Americans thanks to a price tag that is expected to be close to $20,000.

In order to hit that number, VW will build the car in America at its new Chattanooga, Tennessee facility. Both gasoline and diesel powertrains will be offered.

AutoGuide’s 2011 Detroit Auto Show coverage starts January 10th. Until then, see our complete Detroit Auto Show preview here.

Volkswagen has just released three new sketches of its next midsize sedan, giving us a solid look at the styling of what might just be the most important vehicle the brand has ever launched.

At last week’s Paris Auto Show, VW unveiled the next generation Passat, but that’s not the car we will get in North America. Instead we’re getting a new model that the German automaker will only refer to as the New Midsize Sedan. It’s expected to be larger, with lower-grade content and a softer ride. It will also be built in North America and will, therefore, be much cheaper to produce and allow VW to sell the car at a significantly lower pricepoint. It’s also expected to keep the Passat name.

Volkswagen won’t confirm any of that, but we’ll find out a whole lot more at the cars official debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

GALLERY: Volkswagen New Midsize Sedan Sketches

[Source: VW's Facebook Page]

Volkswagen will offer its new mid-size sedan with both gasoline and diesel engines says VW North America boss Stefan Jacoby. In doing so VW will be the only automaker in North America to offer a mid-size diesel sedan, competing against the likes of the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Ford Fusion. The popularity of hybrid mid-size sedans has grown and if VW decides to offer the same TDI motor that powers both the Golf and Jetta then we should expect hybrid-rivaling fuel economy numbers with the Jetta TDI achieving 29/40 mpg (city/highway).

The new mid-size sedan is expected to be larger and less expensive to help it compete with other mid-size sedans and while part of the cost is expected to be the result of a less-premium interior compared to VW’s current mid-size offering (the Passat), much of the cost savings will also made from building the car in the U.S. at the company’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant. The new mid-size sedan from Volkswagen is set to go on sale next year.

In other VW news, during the same press conference Jacoby waffled on earlier reports that the Golf R was destined for U.S. shores, saying the decision was, “still up in the air.” The main reason the car might not be offered in the U.S. is the poor dollar-to-Euro exchange rate right now. The Golf R, currently on sale in Europe, uses a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine to makes 265-hp and 258 ft-lbs of torque, combined with VW’s 4MOTION AWD setup to deliver a 0-62 mph time of just 5.5 seconds! We’ve speculated in the past that despite those reports to the contrary, the Golf R is unlikely to find its way to the U.S. due to how much it would cost here.

As for the Audi brand, the high-performance S5 model will continue to be offered with a V8 for 2011, rather than the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 currently being used in the A6 3.0T and S4.

[Source: NewYorkTimes]

Volkswagen will double its sales in the U.S. in the next two to three years says VW of America CEO Stefan Jacoby. Currently the German automaker sells just over 200,000 units in the U.S. annually, moving 213,454 cars and crossovers in 2009, down slightly from 2008. Jacoby believes sales will rise to 400,000 to 450,000 units in the next 24 to 36 months, in accordance with a larger goal by the company to deliver U.S. sales of 800,000 units sold in the U.S. by 2018.

To do this, VW is planning an onslaught of new models specific to the American market – something the German automaker has never really tried before. In the past most VW models were smaller, more premium and more expensive than their competition, but VW is hoping that a new mid-size sedan and new compact sedan that are larger and cheaper than the Passat and Jetta they replace will boost sales considerably.

Just recently VW also showcased a the New Compact Coupe concept at the Detroit Auto Show (above), that may also foreshadow a new coupe model from the brand as well as a hybrid.

VW has yet to confirm if its plans to grow the brand in the U.S. will include a sub-compact like the Polo model sold in the U.S.

[Source: Automotive News via Autoblog]

Volkswagen has confirmed that the company’s new compact sedan will retain the Jetta badge. Until now it has been known only as NCS (New Compact sedan) and is part of a two-pronged attack that Volkswagen will be making on the U.S. market (and on Toyota). Volkswagen plans to increase almost four-fold, growing its sales from 220,000 to roughly 800,000 units by 2018.

A new version of the Jetta will also be offered but only in GLI trim, once the new version of the traditional Jetta debuts. The new Jetta will arrive in June of 2010.

The second part of VW’s plan involves the NMS (New Mid-Size Sedan), which will debut at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. It will be larger, less-premium than the company’s current mid-sized sedan (the Passat). It will also be less expensive as both it and the new Jetta will be manufactured at VW’s new Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant. Despite previous reports to the contrary, VW has not yet confirmed if it will then eliminate the current Passat from the North American market. In all likelihood, the Passat isn’t likely to survive.

According to a report in Car & Driver, Volkswagen continues to be indecisive on the future of the Polo for the U.S., despite the recent introduction of the Ford Fiesta and Mazda2. VW North America boss Stefan Jacoby did, however, tell C&D that the return of the Phaeton is likely for 2014 (something that has already been reported). He also dropped an important bit of new info - the German automaker is looking to show a new notchback coupe concept in the near future with a series production version in mind. Could this be a competitor to the Toyota FT-86?

[Source: Car&Driver]