Volkswagen is upgrading the Jetta GLI with the a new 2.0-liter, turbocharged engine with a slight bump in power over the 2012 model.
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No, a race car didn’t go 400 mph at Road America, but Volkswagen of America did take a Jetta Pace Car out for a lap and added some movie magic.
The new Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid has achieved an EPA-estimated 48 mpg on the highway and 42 mpg in the city, making it the seventh vehicle in the German automaker’s lineup that is capable of over 40 mpg on the highway.
A turbocharged Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid has just set the record for ‘Hybrid Speed Record’ at the Bonneville Salt Flats after it went 185.394-mph. It’s the fastest speed ever achieved by a production-based hybrid out on the Salt Flats.
Earlier, we detailed Volkswagen‘s changes to its 2013 lineup which included the addition of the 2013 Jetta Hybrid. And just like that, it’s old news as Rainer Michel, Vice President of Product Marketing and Strategy at Volkswagen of America, spilled some details on what the 2014 Jetta will be equipped with.
Volkswagen appears to be readying a Jetta Alltrack for the American market, a crossover variant based on the next-generation Jetta wagon models.
The Volkswagen Jetta will see a new top-of-the-line trim level called the SEL Plus later this year, though the more exciting news is that Volkswagen plans to replace its 2.5-liter inline-four with a 1.8-liter turbo-four next year.
The new high-end SEL Plus trim will see softer-touch materials in the interior, and like the GLI model, the American counterpart will more closely resemble all the upgrades and refinements seen in the European version, including electric power steering.
The Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Program) has just released its latest crash test results of 10 2011 models, and nine vehicles take top spots by earning five star ratings.
Coming out on top are the Audi A6, the BMW X3, the Chevrolet Aveo and Chevrolet Orlando, the Citroën DS5, the Hyundai i40, the Opel Ampera, the VW Golf Cabriolet and Jetta. Coming in with four stars is the Kia Picanto, which does not come with standard Electronic Stability Control.
In the plug-in and electric category, the Opel/Vauxhall Ampera earned top marks, and for child occupant protection, the Hyundai i40 and VW Jetta and Golf Cabriolet scored 86 percent. The Chevrolet Aveo and Chevrolet Orlando came out with good whiplash and adult occupant protection scores.
However, the Opel Ampera, Audi A6 and Citroën DS5 just met Euro NCAP’s 2011 pedestrian requirements for a five star rating. More stringent five star requirements will be put into place in 2012.
For can view all the test result scores on Euro NCAP’s website.
Both the new Ford Mustang and the new VW Jetta are facing possible recalls as a result of ongoing investigations by safety officials.
The Mustangs in question are those from the 2011 and 2012 model year equipped with a manual transmission, with reports from owners stating an inability to shift into gears while merging into high speed traffic or while turning left across oncoming traffic. A total of 32 complaints have gone through NHTSA on the Mustang.
On the Volkswagen Jettas equipped with TDI, seven complaints have been filed alleging a leak from the fuel line to the fuel injector. NHTSA has also received one complaint from a VW Golf equipped with the 2.0L TDI. Incidents are being reported between 2,470 to 7,764 miles and could impact 40,000 Jetta TDI vehicles.
Both of these cases may or may not result in recalls.
[Source: Detroit News]
The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta just got a lower base price, but it all came at a cost: a lower ranking to boot. Among small sedans, the Jetta came in dead last among its competitors in a Consumer Reports test.
The $15,995 base price meant that VW skimped on minor details such as the interior and suspension, resulting in a laundry list of faults—shoddy handling, lack of cornering grip, cheap interior plastics and finish, a long braking distance, a reluctant transmission, and a 2.5-liter five-cylinder that doesn’t let you forget the $15,995 base price. Consumer Reports put it simply, “a shadow of the agile, well-finished car it once was.”
Some of the other cars tested were the equally-new Chevrolet Cruze and Hyundai Elantra: the Cruze received a midpack Very Good rating, while the Elantra was the overall winner with CR’s official recommendation.
Read AutoGuide’s 2011 Volkswagen Jetta review here
Volkswagen confirmed today that an Audi S1 and a Jetta R are in the pipeline, but quashed rumors of an upcoming Polo R model. In an interview with drive.com.au, Dr. Ernst Linder, responsible for developing the Polo GTI, said that an Audi S1 would be offered with the familiar 1.4L twincharge unit and 7-speed DSG used in the Polo GTI. The S1 will also be front-drive, despite Audi’s legacy of using the quattro all-wheel-drive system.
Linder also denied that a Polo R would be coming, stating “From the technical point-of-view, of course we can do something, but from the financial point-of-view it makes not so much sense,” he said. “It would be too expensive and we have the S1. The S1 will have 136kW and it’s a very sporty car. If we put much more horsepower in the [Polo], we need something like four-wheel-drive. This is a technical feature that is very expensive.”
The Jetta R, on the other hand, was confirmed, but technical details are vague. Expect the familiar 2.0TFSI turbo engine, all-wheel drive and a DSG gearbox.
[Source: Drive.com.au]