2011 Volkswagen Jetta

Volkswagen’s all new Jetta model was launched at a live event in New York’s Times Square this morning. Following yesterday’s leaked photos there were no real surprises revealed.

The Jetta draws heavily on styling cues from the New Compact Coupé, first shown in January this year. With a better and closer look at the production model we can see the front and rear grille treatments are less aggressive than the show car. As a result the look is more restrained, or, judging by some of yesterday’s comments, a little bit boring.

Sure, the chrome detailing in the grille is a little busy. Also, the main headlight cluster is not quite as special as the show car. (Perhaps that look is being saved for xenon equipped models featuring LED daytime running lights?) But I wouldn’t call the design of the new Jetta boring. Safe, perhaps.

Overall, though, the Jetta is largely faithful to the concept model and its sharp crease lines and pleasing side profile present the market with a new model that is just that. A new Volkswagen. Indeed, the press release available below states, “the new Jetta will no longer be sharing any body components with the Golf, rather it will be a vehicle type that is just as independent as a CC or a Tiguan.”

One disappointment does lie in the new Jetta’s steering wheel. It’s a three spoke design, familiar to the Volkswagen range, but just one of the upper spokes houses steering wheel controls. Higher spec models may well have controls on both sides, but the result on the images released today looks unfinished and cheap. A slight dampener on an otherwise smart looking car.

Volkswagen Australia have confirmed the new Jetta will be on sale in Australia in 2011. As to a specific date – our educated guess would suggest local availability around 12 months from now.

There’s another 10 photos available below, along with the full European press release detailing engine choices on offer at initial launch. At the end of the article a selection of new Jetta and New Compact Coupé pics are placed side by side for comparative purposes.

Initial facts: World Premiere of the New Jetta

• International Premiere in New York
• German Engineering: New Jetta is one of the most fuel-efficient sedans in the world
• Design avant-garde: Jetta styling follows the new Volkswagen Design-DNA

Wolfsburg / Herndon, Virignia, 15 June 2010 – Today, Volkswagen is presenting – at Times Square in New York – an entirely new Jetta design. The model series has a global presence with 9.6 million units sold, and it has been a bestseller especially in the USA. The follow-up model to the most successful German brand sedan in America takes a gigantic leap forward – conceptually and especially in its styling. The design projects a more dynamic image than ever before. Offering a preview of the new Jetta’s styling was the NCC coupe concept car shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Designers of the new Jetta sedan drew their inspiration from the coupe, and this bodes well for the potential sports appeal of the new Jetta. This also means that the new Jetta will no longer be sharing any body components with the Golf, rather it will be a vehicle type that is just as independent as a CC or a Tiguan.

The new car’s dimensions were re-proportioned compared with those of the concept car and the previous Jetta model: Wheelbase (+ 2.76 inches / + 7 cm) and exterior length (+ 3.54 inches / + 9 cm) grew significantly. The perceptible results: superior performance, more space, greater comfort.

Designers and engineers also re-designed the interior down to the finest details; the quality and detailed perfection inside the five-seater now truly exceed traditional class boundaries. For the first time, if the customer is looking for a more customized ambiance it is also easy to have interior accents changed out at a Volkswagen dealer.

German Engineering is the key word that captures the attention of many customers in the USA. And that is not the only place where German engineering stands for the highest quality and efficient technology. The new Jetta is a prime example, and a look at its powertrain technologies illustrates this clearly. As a turbodiesel with highly advanced common rail direct injection, the Jetta sets the benchmark. The US version, equipped with a 103 kW / 140 PS TDI Clean Diesel (conforming to the BIN 5 emissions standard) attains a top value for Highway fuel economy with 42 mpg* (combined fuel economy: 34 mpg*) – making the Jetta one of the most fuel-efficient vehicles on the market. In Europe, Volkswagen will be introducing its smallest TDI – a 77 kW / 105 PS engine – in early 2011. In the BlueMotion Technology version, this Jetta’s fuel consumption is a sensational 4.1 l/100 km* – a top value for a sedan in the 4.6-meter class.

In addition, Volkswagen has tailored US equipment versions (S, SE, SEL and TDI) to consistently fulfill the wishes of American car drivers, and it has developed a sedan that is one of the best in its class in terms of quality and fuel economy. The already well-equipped base version will launch at prices starting at 15,995 US dollars (European prices for the Jetta Trendline, Comfortline and Highline to be announced for specific countries as pre-ordering begins). In parallel, Volkswagen has developed a second version of the safety chassis designed especially for America.

Volkswagen of America – 800,000 cars per year by 2018

By 2018, Volkswagen of America wants to triple its annual sales volume to about 800,000 vehicles from the East Coast to the West. The new Jetta plays a key role here. Today, the Jetta sells at a rate of 110,000 units per year in the USA. We want to increase this figure. One of our recipes for success: a clear focus on customers and not just on the competition. Since the days of the Beetle built by Ferdinand Porsche, this has made Volkswagen unique among high-volume car makers. The Jetta is guiding this philosophy into the future – with its low fuel consumption, excellent vehicle dynamics and a comprehensive safety concept. ESP and tire pressure monitoring are standard systems aboard; based on results of independent crash testing by the US organization IIHS, the previous model was already named “Top Safety Pick”. The car’s top crash safety has now been further enhanced by further perfected pedestrian protection. The quality of workmanship is pioneering. With a decidedly comfortable interior and a design that is as stylish as it is powerful, the new Jetta is taking on the automotive challenges of our times better than the vast majority of its competitors.

Exterior styling and dimensions

Never before has a Jetta been so large. The new model is 182.7 inches (4.64 meters) long, 57.1 inches (1.45 meters) tall and 70.1 inches (1.78 meters) wide. As noted, this makes the Volkswagen now being presented in New York 3.54 inches (9 cm) longer than the previous model. The interplay of exterior dimensions leads to a powerful balance of proportions. In parallel, the new Volkswagen ‘design DNA’ sharpens the car’s styling. This has resulted in clear, precise lines and athletically muscular surfaces, which lend a timeless elegance and dynamic styling to the sedan.

Front end: Here, the prominence of horizontal lines defines the design. The high-gloss black radiator grille combines with the car’s trapezoidal headlights to form a styling unit. Under the unit formed by the grille and headlights there is the fully painted bumper, which is designed as a cleanly sculpted surface. One section lower, another cooling air intake and the tray-shaped front spoiler (in the style of ‘splitters’ used in car racing) gives the car a sporty finish. The upper front end section shows a powerful transition from the v-shaped engine hood to the fenders on the sides; the shoulder section realized here was derived 1:1 from the NCC concept car, and it produces dynamic and muscular styling.

Side profile: In the side profile of this sedan, styling characteristics that mark all new Volkswagens launched during the past year meld into yet another interpretation of the ‘design DNA’ conceptualized by the Italian Head of Design for the Volkswagen Group (Walter de Silva) and the German Head of Design for the Volkswagen Brand (Klaus Bischoff). The best example of this: the characteristic shoulder or ‘tornado’ line and the powerfully emphasized arches of the wheel wells. Formally, they intersect the main volumes of the large homogeneous surfaces, conveying a strong dynamic image. Thanks to wide track dimensions, the wheel arches also form a precise transition – as though cut with a knife – to accommodate up to an 18 inch wheel. Meanwhile, the styling of the outside mirrors with their integrated turn signal indicators emulate the larger CC. Compared to the previous model, the new Jetta has also grown in clarity and pre-eminence in its side profile.

Rear section: Harmonized surfaces and sporty shoulders also dominate the look in back of the new Volkswagen Jetta. Powerful in illumination and visually distinctive: the taillights. They are split into two sections, and on each side they extend from the fender into the tailgate.

Interior and dimensions

The interior with its high-end image definitely pushes the boundaries of the vehicle class above. The Jetta is significantly increasing its lead over the competition here. One key benefit of the car’s extended wheelbase is that it enabled a layout of the rear seating area of the five-seat Jetta that is substantially more comfortable. Compared to the previous model, legroom is now a long 38.1 inches (96.7 cm) – a gain of 2.6 inches (6.7 cm).

Inside, the new Jetta also offers unparalleled perfection in details, and – as a common conceptual thread throughout the car – intuitive controls. The instruments are ideally arranged. The new steering wheel designs (optionally with multifunction keys) impress both visually and to the touch. The right hand rests ergonomically on the gear shift grip; further up on the center console are the newly designed and intuitive controls for the climate control and radio and radio-navigation systems; this console section is slightly inclined toward the driver for an ideal alignment of the cockpit that focuses on the driver’s needs. Also in optimal view are the round instruments; the multifunction display (trip computer) is located between them. Even in the base version, the rear bench seatback is split 40/60 and folds, increasing the car’s versatility. The tailgate can also be opened from inside the car by a remote unlock switch. Up to six airbags (two front airbags, two side airbags in front, two window airbags / thorax airbags in the area of the front side windows) are also part of the equipment package.

Fuel-efficient engines

Four engines for America: In the USA and Canada, the new Jetta is offered with three petrol engines and one turbodiesel direct-injection engine (TDI Clean Diesel). Two of the four engines are new on board: the entry-level engine (85 kW / 115 PS) and the common rail TDI (103 kW / 140 PS). Technically perfected in the new model are the 125 kW / 170 PS 2.5-liter gasoline engine and the sporty top engine, the turbocharged 2.0-liter TSI with 147 kW / 200 PS, which will power the top model Jetta GLI in North America starting in 2011. The new 115 PS engine has a combined fuel economy of 28 mpg* (manual transmission); the version with automatic transmission attains a value of 26 mpg*. A technical highlight is the new 2.0-liter TDI Clean Diesel; thanks to conversion to the world’s leading direct injection diesel system – common rail injection – the turbocharged engine is as quiet as a gasoline engine and as powerful as a sports car engine (320 Newton-meters maximum torque). A particulate filter and a NOx storage catalytic converter ensure that this TDI meets emissions requirements in all states of the USA. A combined fuel economy of 34 mpg makes the new and very agile Jetta 2.0-liter TDI (0-60 mph in 8.7 seconds) one of the most fuel-efficient and lowest emitting vehicles on the North American continent.

All engines are offered with a manual transmission as standard equipment. Of course, an automatic transmission is also available with each engine version as an option. On the new 2.0-liter TDI and 2.0-liter TSI, Volkswagen is implementing the 6-speed DSG – one of the most advanced and efficient automatic transmission systems in the world.

Six engines for Europe: In Europe, the engine strategy will conform to prevailing market conditions. Smaller engine displacements and charging are key objectives here. This means somewhat less power in the base engines, significantly lower engine displacements, and all engines are charged. Four of the six engines are new to the Jetta program and will be added in 2011: The 1.2 TSI (77 kW / 105 PS), 1.4 TSI (118 kW / 160 PS) and two common rail turbodiesels 1.6 TDI (77 / kW 105 PS) and 2.0 TDI (103 kW / 140 PS). As usual, the 1.4 TSI (90 kW / 122 PS) and the 2.0 TSI (147 kW / 200 PS) offer high-tech in proven form. Except for the 1.2 TSI, all engines may be paired with a 6-speed DSG (77 kW TDI, 103 kW TDI, 147 kW TSI) or 7-speed DSG (90 kW TSI, 118 kW TSI).

Naturally, every Jetta engine offered in Europe fulfills requirements of the EU-5 emissions standard. The 1.2 TSI and 1.6 TDI are also equipped with the BlueMotion Technology package. This means that their technical features include a Start-Stop system and battery regeneration. The new Jetta 1.2 TSI BlueMotion Technology consumes just 5.3 l/100 km* (equivalent to 123 g/km* CO2) – an absolute top value for a gasoline-powered sedan with a top speed of 190 km/h. The Jetta with 1.6 TDI BlueMotion Technology attains a sensationally low combined fuel consumption of 4.1 l/100* km (109 g/km* CO2); with this engine, the Jetta is the most fuel-efficient 4.6-meter sedan in the world.

* All mpg data are forecast EPA values for the USA. All l/100 km data are forecast NEDC values for Europe.

Notes:
TDI, TSI, DSG and Twincharger are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG or other companies of the Volkswagen Group in Germany and other countries.
Equipment information and technical data apply to models offered in the United States and Germany. They may differ in other countries.
All mpg data are forecast EPA values for the USA. All l/100 km data are forecast NEDC values for Europe.

New Jetta v New Compact Coupé