The Volkswagen New Midsize Sedan, North America’s replacement for the Passat, has been spied without any camouflage.

Back in September, Volkswagen revealed the seventh-generation Passat, and we found out that North America wouldn’t be getting it. Instead, the Passat would be replaced by the New Midsize Sedan, which VW released renderings of shortly after the Passat broke cover. The NMS will receive a different name once it goes on sale, but the name is unknown.

Now, we have our first pictures, albeit unofficial. Although it’s hard to tell just by looking at photographs, the NMS is said to be larger than the Passat, with size suggested as the reason for the Passat’s demise in North America. The increase in length means that the car could make its way to China, where long-wheelbase cars are very popular.

The New Midsize Sedan’s design looks rather similar to the Passat’s at first, but looking closer, you’ll notice a few differences. The headlamps have changed, but more significantly, the rear fascia takes inspiration from the smaller Jetta, while the Passat’s rear end displays Phaeton cues. Otherwise, the two looks pretty much identical.

While some badges are highlighted in one of the spy shots, it’s very hard to tell what they say. Our best squinting and Photoshop work leads us to believe the name could be Lexa or something similar, but don’t take our word for it.

The NMS will be unveiled at the 2011 North American International Auto Show, and sales will begin later that year, with VW expecting 120,000 units to be shifted every year. Pricing is said to start at around $20,000, and while this will likely be less expensive than the Passat over in Europe, the build quality could be an issue judging by previous examples of North American VWs.

Source: Jokeforblog via Autoblog.nl (translated)