Paris 2010: Volkswagen Passat

World domination of the sales charts is something that is on the Volkswagen Group's mind. The company aims to achieve the top spot in global sales by 2018.

With Audi being very successful and VW brand sales increasing across the globe, that goal looks to be within reach. In fact, the company came very close to taking the top spot in 2009 .

The plan to hit number one includes significantly increasing sales in the United States. One of the vehicles VW aims to do that with is the Jetta.

The Passat has always been a good seller for the brand in the U.S market, as well as being critically high regarded. But a new chapter is dawning, and the world is getting a new Passat while we aren't.

VW calls the 2011 model "seventh-generation" iteration of the Passat, but it is really more of a refresh or mid-cycle enhancement. It is certainly is not an all-new, from the ground up model, despite VW's protestations.

As expected, it ditches the car's higher-end previous look, and replaces it a with a new, more staid approach. The design language on the Passat first appeared in the U.S on the previous generation Jetta.

The look is slowly being trickled throughout the lineup. Quite honestly we liked the previous car's look better and found it to be the best Passat yet.

The 2011 model seems to be a bit of a step backward, making the Passat less youthful and more grown up (like a mini Phaeton).

The mini-Phaeton impression continues in the back, where the rear looks nearly exactly like the Phaeton. The aim toward an older audience is intentional, but we aren't sure it is the best direction for the car. Time will tell.

The mid-cycle enhancement vibe is never more evident than in the interior, where in its basic design it is a carry-over from the previous car.

There is a new steering wheel (which we quite like), trim, new gauges and the addition of an analogue clock that looks thrown in. Other than it is kept to various detail changes. The seats in the front also have the ability to be massaged.

To us, the impression is given off is that VW doesn't really care about the Passat like it once did, as it failed to put much effort into this redesign. It is likely due to its exit from the U.S market, as the development dollars weren't there - and it shows.

Now the question is what the U.S-built "NMS" sedan will be like. Given that the Passat name has a lot of equity, will it be dubbed Passat? That would be the smart thing to do. Whatever the name, there is bound to be a whole lot more effort into the NMS.