The new Volkswagen Jetta in the US has received a highly critical review from the US Consumer Reports publication, which placed the model at the bottom of a list of 11 compact sedans reviewed. While the Jetta came back to the US as a smaller and more affordable model, according to the review that has come at too high a cost to the car itself.

The overall verdict of the Volkswagen Jetta is that it is “a shadow of the agile, well-finished car it once was”. That’s a pretty damning statement, but the detail is that more affordable price means the interior and suspension has been sacrificed. Director of the testing centre, David Champion, says: “In an effort to bring the car’s starting price down, VW cheapened the previous Jetta’s interior and suspension, making it less sophisticated and compromising handling.”

Volkswagen Jetta sales in the US don’t seem to reflect the same findings, meaning that the strategy to go less premium and sell more is working. While that will be handy as part of Volkswagen’s ongoing strategy to become the world’s number one car manufacturer, we wonder if a review like this and what it says about VW tactics, won’t come back to bite in the future.

Source | Autoblog.com

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The new US-built Volkswagen Passat for that market is part of the company’s ambitious attempt to sell 800,000 vehicles in the US by 2018. If you thought Volkswagen was going to produce something exciting to be revealed at the 2011 Detroit auto show, you might be disappointed to find that it seems to be going down the sensible sedan route (aside from the much-anticipated New Beetle, perhaps). This Passat was expected to be a bigger model, and it is, but has borrowed a Jetta design which seems to indicate that Volkswagen thinks its success lies there.

Not only bigger, it should also prove to be a slightly more upmarket version of the Jetta, with a new interior. What’s more, Volkswagen plans to drop the price of its Passat in the US to about 20,000 USD when it goes on sale later this year. It’s a good move but it might not be enough considering some of the stiff competition in that price bracket.

The engine range includes an entry-level, 2.5 litre petrol powertrain with 170 hp. The diesel on offer is the classic 2.0-litre turbodiesel with 140 hp, while the top-of-the-range model is a 3.5-litre V6 with 280 hp. We get the impression that Volkswagen will be counting on its German-design, US-built credentials to reel in some of the competition but whether the new US Passat is individual enough remains to be seen.

Live Detroit 2011: US Volkswagen Passat

Continue reading: Volkswagen NMS becomes new US Passat at Detroit: live pics

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The European Volkswagen Jetta, released yesterday, shows only slight differences on the outside to the US-spec model, but has a brand new Jetta engine line-up for Europe and an improved suspension system. The Jetta has had mixed success in the past on various European markets, but it’s hoped this new Europe-focused version will provide a sturdy sedan model in the VW line-up.

The new suspension is a four-link system different to that of the torsion beam used on the US model. The longer wheelbase of 265 cm is also a change from the previous model, making this sixth generation Jetta slightly longer. It’s already on sale in Germany at the price of about 20,900 euros and is available in Trendline, Comfortline and Highline models.

After seeing the Passat take the reins again in its long career, the new Jetta is the sixth generation since 1979. It has sold about 9.6 million units worldwide over the years. The new engine range should give it a significant modernisation, with the petrol units being: 1.2 TSI with 105 hp, 1.4 TSI with 122 or 160 hp and the 2.0 TSI with 200 hp.

European Volkswagen Jetta

Continue reading: European Volkswagen Jetta revealed

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Given that the US is currently undergoing a love-affair with the newly released Volkswagen Jetta, there probably won’t be too much disappointment that the Volkswagen Polo sedan will unlikely get a stateside debut. Volkswagen is steadily shoring-up its US market presence with the new Jetta and future models of the NMS (New Midsize Sedan) and the New Beetle. Not only is the new product that’s on its way appealing, the Jetta itself is winning hearts in the US.

With good German build technology, an attractive and competitive price-tag, good design and a fancy launch, the Volkswagen Jetta in the US can’t get any better. It looks like it will be the one to beat in this popular and competitive segment. So why worry about whether the Volkswagen Polo sedan, initially intended for emerging markets, will ever make it to the US?

The Volkswagen Polo sedan, or Volkswagen Vento, will first make its debut in Russia before being rolled out to other European and Asian markets. It represents a dubious choice for the US market, though, especially in terms of appeal and cost. Volkswagen has stated it would prefer to invest in a quirkier downmarket choice and would prefer to dedicate production at its Tenessee and Mexican plants to “more profitable models”.

Source | Car and Driver

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Volkswagen has released these design patents for its future Volkswagen Jetta Coupé, inspired by the NCC, or New Compact Coupé prototype. It was presented at the most recent Detroit auto show and it looks like Volkswagen is taking the prototype to the production stage. You can check out the proposed design for yourself in these pics, while the engine range should include five options: the 1.2 TSI (105 hp), 1.4 TSI (122 hp) and 2.0 TSI (200 hp) petrol units, and the two diesels of 1.6 TDI (105 hp) and 2.0 TDI (140 hp).

Continue reading: Volkswagen Jetta Coupé design pics

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The Volkswagen Jetta has been developed specifically with the US car market in mind and the brand new design shows that it’s a departure for the company from the rest of its more European-oriented range. Not one mere door panel seems to have anything in common with the Volkswagen Golf, and the new Jetta is bigger and grander in style than the previous model. It is nine centimetres longer and as such has given rear seat passengers and extra 6.7 cm of leg room. The relationship with the Golf is more evident on the inside, with space for five people and plenty of improvements in the finishings and options.

The Jetta will have a brand new engine in place, offered with a 2-litre TDI with 140 hp that’s Euro 5 compliant, just to show the Americans how it’s done. That will be followed by the 1.6 TDI with 105 hp, ensuring that the Jetta becomes a leader in the US in terms of reduced fuel consumption and emissions. Becoming more a part of the marketing strategy, more ecological models are being pushed, with the BlueMotion 1.6 TDI also available in the future, which will have 4.1 l/100 km of fuel consumption.

Among the petrol engines available in the US, the Jetta will have the older five-cylinder, 2.5-litre aspirated unit with 170 hp, and the 2.0 TSI with 200 hp. These will be added to in the future with the 1.2 TSI with 105 hp and the 1.4 TSI in both 122 and 160 hp versions. An automatic gearbox is available on all models, while the the TDI and TSI engine options will also have the DSG dual-clutch transmission. More information, Jetta pics and video after the jump.

Volkswagen Jetta 2010

Continue reading: New Volkswagen Jetta revealed: all the pics, video and details

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The Volkswagen New Compact Coupe presented at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show shows a concept model that will most likely be positioned somewhere between the Scirocco and the Passat CC in the Volkswagen line-up. The series model will possibly be name the Jetta Coupe, and indicates a new design direction for some of the new Volkswagen models coming up.

The design comes from Walter de Silva, and you can see the influence of his beloved Audi A5. The New Compact Coupe, or NCC, is a hybrid vehicle with a 1.4 TSI engine with 150 hp, and an electric motor with an additional 27 hp. It has a top speed of 227 km/hr and can reach 100 km/hr in 8.1 seconds.

Clearly, the Volkswagen NCC has impressive fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures, using just 4.2 litres of fuel for every 100 km, and producing 98 g/km of CO2. It has a seven speed DSG gearbox and rear wheel drive. A possible New Compact Sedan will also be produced along the same design lines, to substitute the Jetta or even the Passat on the US market. The New Compact Sedan should be a five door, fastback model very similar to the Audi A5, and the NCC should appear in a production version by about 2012.

Continue reading: Volkswagen New Compact Coupe and sedan design: Volkswagen Jetta

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In honour of the 30th birthday of the Volkswagen Jetta, here’s a historic Jetta gallery which shows the model that was originally designed back in 1979 by Italian Giorgetto Giugiaro. While the smaller car has never been particularly successful in Europe, it is the all-time most sold Volkswagen in the US.

The first generation Jetta A1 gave way to the Jetta A2 in 1984, with a wider range of engine options including the 1.3 litre at 54hp, the 1.6-litre at 73 hp and the 1.6 litre diesel at 54hp. There was also a turbo diesel with 69 hp and sports versions GT and GTI. These versions had 87 and 110 hp according to the engine, and even a 136hp 1.8-litre 16V.

Continue reading: 30 years of the Volkswagen Jetta

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