NMS versus B7

jafische

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What the H is the difference between a B7 and a NMS?
Is one a German model?

I have a 2013 TDi SEL Prem Passat... is this a B7?

How can you tell the difference? I have read the B7 is an upgrade from the B6. But where is a table of B6=x and B7=y and NMS=z etc.
 

DubFamily

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The B7 is the "Rest of World" model of the Passat; it is not sold in the US. They are produced in a couple plants I believe, and sold in most other countries.

The US model is the NMS, or "New Midsize Sedan" and is sold only in the US (and Canada?) and made in Chattanooga.
 

Fixmy59bug

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Essentially the are the same.

The B# refers to the Generation # of the B-Series chassis.

B4 is the 4th Generation of the passat that was built from 1990 - 1997.

B5 was built from 1998 - 2005. However, in 2001 the passat was given a facelift, so you may often see a B5 which refers to 1998 - 2001 and B5.5 refers to 2001.5 - 2005.

B6 was built from 2006 - 2011.

B7 started being built in 2102.

NMS is the codename for the B7 Passat when it was still in development stages. It stands for New Midsize Sedan and is a completely different design from previous model years.

Beware though, There is a US B7 (AKA NMS) and there is a European B7 Passat which is a facelifted B6 Passat. A lot of the parts are not interchangeable.

However, a lot of our US B7 parts ARE interchangeable with the Chinese B7 Passat.
 

jafische

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So, does NMS=B7 where NMS is the US version Passat and the B7 is the Euro Passat.

aka, I have an NMS since I bought in Pensacola FL.
 

Blue_Hen_TDI

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NMS = made in Chattanooga, TN and sold in USA, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE; Chinese plant builds the Chinese NMS
 
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VeeDubTDI

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WutGas?

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So, does NMS=B7 where NMS is the US version Passat and the B7 is the Euro Passat.

aka, I have an NMS since I bought in Pensacola FL.
No, NMS does not equal B7. They are not the same cars. Related yes, but very different.
 

jafische

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I believe I have it this time.
I have an NMS. This is the US version of the Passat. The B7 is the Euro version of the Passat. They are both VW's answer to the evolution of the Passat. And since they are the same but different, they named these, not identical twins, different names.
Yea. Yes.
Merry Christmas.
 

passsattdi

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Essentially the are the same.

The B# refers to the Generation # of the B-Series chassis.

B4 is the 4th Generation of the passat that was built from 1990 - 1997.

B5 was built from 1998 - 2005. However, in 2001 the passat was given a facelift, so you may often see a B5 which refers to 1998 - 2001 and B5.5 refers to 2001.5 - 2005.

B6 was built from 2006 - 2011.

B7 started being built in 2102.

NMS is the codename for the B7 Passat when it was still in development stages. It stands for New Midsize Sedan and is a completely different design from previous model years.

Beware though, There is a US B7 (AKA NMS) and there is a European B7 Passat which is a facelifted B6 Passat. A lot of the parts are not interchangeable.

However, a lot of our US B7 parts ARE interchangeable with the Chinese B7 Passat.
The Tennasee plant produces as Bue Hen has quoted. These are not the same frames as the european version,,At the very least there are cosmetic differences, kind of similar to Chevrolet and Buick. Essentially similar, but not the same. They are identicle to the ones being built in China, except VW does not feel we should get the high line items, like projectors, leds and such. They want you to buy the Audi if you want that. That being said, I think this is a wonderful car. My B5.5 Passat TDI road about the same. Actually with winter studded tires the 05 was much louder than the 12. It is the handcraps that are the problem, as the studded winters I have now are not any noisier than the handcraps.
Calling the US built car a B7 is a misnomer. It is NOT a B7. NMS is it's true designation. It may actually be the next chassis. So if the German car is a B7, since it is several years old, we should perhaps be refering to this as the B8. It is certainly newer and certainly different. It is what I would like to believe. Make ours better than the "Older" model.;):D
 
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bhtooefr

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Stop using B designations for platforms, the B5 was the last where they were valid, and then the platform was renamed to PL45. (Passenger car, Longitudinal engine, size class 4, 5th generation.)

There's a reason the Europeans use Typ designations, though.

The car commonly referred to as the "B7" (which actually doesn't exist as a separate platform) Passat is Typ 3C, same as the "B6" (actually PQ46, Q being short for a German word for transverse). There'll be sub-types of that, some of which will apply to earlier, some will apply to later models, as well as different body styles (for instance, sedan versus wagon).

The NMS is Typ 56, and is derived from the PQ46 platform (although with suspension modifications, among other things).

(Also, interestingly, the (PQ35-derivative) Jetta and Beetle, despite being different wheelbases, are both Typ 5C, although with different sub-types. Don't have ETKA open to verify, though.)

Most longitudinal Audis produced today are on the MLB component set (not a platform, but it has some platform-like characteristics), and most upcoming transverse VAG products are on the MQB component set. They'll still have their own Typ codes, though.
 

bhtooefr

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Stop using B designations for platforms, the B5 was the last where they were valid, and then the platform was renamed to PL45. (Passenger car, Longitudinal engine, size class 4, 5th generation.)

There's a reason the Europeans use Typ designations, though.

The car commonly referred to as the "B7" (which actually doesn't exist as a separate platform) Passat is Typ 3C, same as the "B6" (actually PQ46, Q being short for a German word for transverse). There'll be sub-types of that, some of which will apply to earlier, some will apply to later models, as well as different body styles (for instance, sedan versus wagon).

The NMS is Typ 56, and is derived from the PQ46 platform (although with suspension modifications, among other things).

(Also, interestingly, the (PQ35-derivative) Jetta and Beetle, despite being different wheelbases, are both Typ 5C, although with different sub-types. Don't have ETKA open to verify, though.)

Most longitudinal Audis produced today are on the MLB component set (not a platform, but it has some platform-like characteristics), and most upcoming transverse VAG products are on the MQB component set. They'll still have their own Typ codes, though. And, "A7 Golf" is going to be so wrong it's not funny. (For that matter, A6 Golf already is wrong, given that the Mk6 Golf (Typ 5K, for what it's worth) is still PQ35, just like the Typ 1K Mk5 Golf.)
 

bhtooefr

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In summary, the valid names for the Passat we get here:

Preferred: Passat Typ 56 (or just Passat 56, or Typ 56)
Alternate, shorter: NMS (short for New Midsize Sedan, the public name for the project, and it does just refer to this car)
I will stab you in the face (just to be safe, this is hyperbole, no faces will actually be stabbed in any case) if you actually use this, due to it being just as ambiguous as the A designations for Golf platforms, but it is valid: VW411 (the project code for the Typ 56, not to be confused with Typ 411, which is the aircooled car that (after the Typ 412 refresh - and, that also shows how sub-types work, they're both Typ 41 (actually, Typ 4 back then, but it'd be 41 if it existed in the watercooled era), with 411 being the original, and 412 being the refresh) preceded the original Typ 32 Passat.)

And, just to make it clear...

I will stab you in the face REPEATEDLY if you actually use this to describe anything other than a previous-generation Audi A4, and I might even then (it's not valid there, either): B7
 
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IndigoBlueWagon

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Yes, but look at the title of this category. If you're not a prescriptive type you're stuck these days with common usage, which for this car includes B7. No more accurate than calling a '12 Golf an A6.
 

passsattdi

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Yes, but look at the title of this category. If you're not a prescriptive type you're stuck these days with common usage, which for this car includes B7. No more accurate than calling a '12 Golf an A6.
One thing for sure we can call our cars a Passat TYP 56.... How about the moderator changing the title of this category so as not to spread any additional BS about what our cars are properly reffered to, now that we have the correct designation??
 

VeeDubTDI

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That is a good idea - unfortunately only administrators can do that. I'll post something in the moderator's forum regarding more accurate model designations.
 

bhtooefr

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Damnit, now I have to scrap this whole post that I wrote, because *VW* calls the Typ... whatever the hell the current European Passat is (I'm finding conflicting things for THAT thing's Typ number - 3C, 3AA, and 36), the B7.

Can I stab VW in the face repeatedly?

It seems that, for "public-facing" names, VW uses Roman numerals for Polos and Golfs, B and an Arabic numeral for Passats, T and an Arabic numeral for Transporters, and just an Arabic numeral for Touaregs. So, that's something to start with. (And, they actually marketed the Jetta III as that in the US, so they extended that precedent here.)
 
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Blue_Hen_TDI

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Damnit, now I have to scrap this whole post that I wrote, because *VW* calls the Typ... whatever the hell the current European Passat is (I'm finding conflicting things for THAT thing's Typ number - 3C, 3AA, and 36), the B7.

Can I stab VW in the face repeatedly?

It seems that, for "public-facing" names, VW uses Roman numerals for Polos and Golfs, B and an Arabic numeral for Passats, T and an Arabic numeral for Transporters, and just an Arabic numeral for Touaregs. So, that's something to start with. (And, they actually marketed the Jetta III as that in the US, so they extended that precedent here.)
Your cavalier usage of knives concerns me.
 

LokiWolf

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Either way the car made in TN is the NMS. That is a valid designation! Using B7 to describe our cars made in the US, is WRONG. That is the most important part to take away from this discussion!

-Loki


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oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
Volkswagen, AG globally has some confusing model designations, as do other manufacturers. Reason being, some 'defunct' models will still continue to be built in other markets long after their original market has stopped having them available.

While this is a primarily North American (Canada and US) website, we shouldn't try to exclude the other markets if at all possible.

I have always liked the Typ designation, as tooef pointed out (1H, 3C, 1J, etc.) as that signifies the actual chassis/platform and trumps any and all other nomenclature, IMHO. But the issue then is, you now have more possible models/forums to deal with, and let's face it not everyone is as big a VW nerd as tooef and myself.

BTW, tooef, the next time I see you, I will not only NOT be stabbing you in the face, but moreso throwing a donut on your genitals for the use of 411 and 412s in a TDI thread! My most loved Volkswagen of all time, the poor VW Edsel. :p (I've owned a few of them...neat cars).
 

bhtooefr

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The other thing that the Typ designations screw up is on 2010+ US-market cars - the VIN on a US-spec Passat has A3, sales type is A32. (Same car in China, it's 56, and that's what I've been going with. And, that actually makes sense, given that I've found proof that the Passat B7 is Typ 36.) And, it just gets worse on, say, Jettas and Golfs, where ETKA thinks they're all AJ5, Jetta Wagons.
 
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