At the upcoming 2012 Detroit Auto Show, the VW brand will lift the covers off a never before seen pure electric concept car and the production version of the Jetta Hybrid, according to the Detroit Free Press.
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It appears that VW also believes it's time to replace the old-school five-pot with a more modern turbocharged four. Citing two sources from within the German company, Car&Driver reports that the 2.5L unit will soon be dropped from Volkswagen's U.S. range with a new 1.8-liter TSI four-cylinder engine taking its place.
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While we do not have a definite answer to what it may be, possible scenarios include a test car for a new Skoda Octavia and a prototype for a Volkswagen-badged model for select markets outside Europe.
The VW dealer has published a series of intentionally cheap and corny commercials starring one of the company’s salesmen, Nick Pontarelli. In two of the videos, Pontarelli abuses a Volkswagen Golf GTI and a Jetta by forcefully shutting and climbing onto the doors to prove the cars' ‘German’ strength and quality. His final statement is “try that with a Hyundai or a Honda”. Watch the clips after the break.
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The new four-door saloon has grown in dimensions measuring 182.7 inches (4.64 meters) long, 57.1 inches (1.45 meters) tall and 70.1 inches (1.78 meters) wide, making it 3.54 inches (90mm) longer than the previous Jetta, while the styling is sharper adopting VW's new design language.
Buyers in the U.S. and Canada will have a choice of three petrol engines, a 115HP 2.0-liter four-cylinder, a 170HP 2.5-liter inline-five (if it makes you feel better, VW notes in the press release that this powerplant is derived from the Gallardo's V10...) and a 200HP 2.0-liter turbo four, plus a 140HP 2.0-liter turbo diesel.
In Europe, the Jetta will be offered with four petrol engines, all featuring turbocharging and direct-injection technology, producing between 105HP and 200HP, as well as two direct-injection turbo diesels with 105HP and 140HP. More details on performance and fuel economy figures in the press release after the jump.
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Those skimming the photos may notice a couple of changes over the concept model that was motivated by a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain. These include the more production like grille and addition of fog lamps up front, and the visible exhaust tail pipes at the back.
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And being a NYC party, Volkswagen brought along hot singer Katy Perry to help out with the presentation and draw some extra attention to the car. Dressed in a pastel rubber-like outfit, Perry sang her hits 'I Kissed A Girl' (and she liked it) and 'California Gurls' dancing barefooted on top of the Jetta's hood. Obviously, she likes that too.
The new Jetta will go on sale in most parts of the world this fall. Larger and better looking than its predecessor, VW's Chevy Cruze and Honda Civic rival, will be offered with a variety of gasoline and diesel engines, with prices in the U.S. to start from $15,995 for the entry-level model.
As we pointed out yesterday after the first batch of photos were leaked online, the new Jetta's crispier exterior styling with the Audi-esque rear-end and Scirocco-like fascia was inspired / previewed by the NCC coupe concept car shown at the Detroit Show this past January.
For the first time, the new Jetta will not be sharing any body components with its Golf brethren, though underneath, the two models share most parts as the four-door sedan uses a modified version of the Golf's architecture.
As you can see in the gallery after the jump, the new Jetta is stylistically inspired by the NCC concept coupe shown at the Detroit Show earlier this year featuring a crispier and more elegant design than that of the outgoing model.
Inside, you'll have a hard time distinguishing the differences between the new and old Jetta. Oddly enough, VW did not go for the deeply recessed main dials of the Golf VI opting instead for a more plain looking instrument panel.
We'll agree with most members from the forum that the car's styling cues including the pronounced lower side lines and the shape of the fascia, as well as its relatively compact dimensions point towards the next generation of the Volkswagen Jetta (see a spy video of the 2011 model here).
