Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Given VW's aggressive growth strategy for the first half of the So the new Jetta raises the question: Will VW enter the rocky Civic-dominated coupe ma

vw

Given VW's aggressive growth strategy for the first half of the So the new Jetta raises the question: Will VW enter the rocky Civic-dominated coupe market with a production NCC? The TSI and TDI engines will be available with VW's six-speed DSG. A six-speed manual is standard across the board, with automatics optional.

A 2.0-liter four and the 2.0-liter TDI clean diesel, making 236 pound-feet, also are in the lineup. The 2.5-liter I-5, unfortunately, remains the Jetta's bread-and-butter engine, while the excellent 2.0-liter TSI turbocharged gas direct-injection four remains an option. Styling resembles other family products like the new Touareg and the Golf. If the new sheetmetal looks familiar, that's because the Jetta draws heavily from the New Compact Coupe concept unveiled at last January's Detroit auto show (pictured below). With a starting price of just $16,000, the Jetta competes not only with the Honda Civic and Toyota Camry, but also with cars like the Ford Fiesta and Mazda2.

And VW says its sticker will be $1700 less than the old model. Rear-seat legroom is up 2.6 inches. At 182.7 inches long, the new Jetta is more than three and a half inches longer than the '10 model, creeping closer to the C/D-segment. Ahead of that car, VW has unveiled its 2011 Jetta, which also grows, nicely filling the gap between the Golf and the larger Passat replacement. is its upcoming New Midsize Sedan, designed to replace the Passat with a car as roomy as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
The heart of Volkswagen's growth strategy in the U.S.
www.motortrend.com