Volkswagen unveils new Jetta
Volkswagen has unveiled 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.
As a turbodiesel with highly advanced common rail direct injection, the Jetta sets the benchmark. The US 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 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 consump tion 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.
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 pedes trian 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.
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 propor tions. 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.
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).
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 entrylevel engine (85 kW /115 PS) and the common rail TDI (103 kW /140 PS).
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