Concession Beetle

Dahrl Worrell, 66, of Russellville,AR has a Beetle unlike anything you’ve ever seen: a 1973 Volkswagen Beetle he has converted into “Beetle Dogs & Meatballs,” a hot dog and meatball concession cart. 

After driving by the burned-out old car for months, inspiration finally hit Worrell in January, and he bought the car and began fixing it up.  “I like to take something and make something else out of it,” he said of his plan to drastically repurpose the old car.   The process of renovating the Beetle involved cutting off the roof, running water pipes and installing a workspace and cooktop. Worrell also gave the car a fresh paint job: red and yellow to match the ketchup and mustard he puts on the hot dogs.   After months of hard work, he finished his project in June. The beetle is now a self-sufficient concession cart that boasts both hot and cold water and plays 1960s music.   Until now, Worrell has kept the “Beetle Dog” in his garage, but plans to take it out this weekend for its maiden voyage at Eureka Spring’s 18th annual Volkswagen festival.

Worrell has restored other old cars in the past, and he has ideas for even more projects.  “I really enjoy making them,” Worrell said.   Currently, he is considering a snow cone concession car and a “boom-box” vehicle that could be used to provide music for birthday parties and other outdoor events.

New Video on how the Navigation works in the 2011 VW’s

Check this out  So user friendly and intuative!  Watch!

Hat Trick? Volkswagen Seeks Another Dakar Win With New Race Touareg 3

Volkswagen’s awesome Race Touaregs have all but dominated the Dakar Rally over the past two years, but such an accomplishment doesn’t satisfy the German automaker. To aim for a third consecutive victory, VW’s Motorsports operations have revise its weapon of choice, producing what it calls the Race Touareg 3.

 

 

 

 

Press materials dub the new off-road racer as a mixture of revolution and evolution, but we’d argue the RT3 is primarily built from evolution. For the most part, the dune-blitzing Touareg resembles last year’s Race Touareg 2, although the front and rear clips have been tweaked to incorporate LED lighting and resemble the all-new 2011 Touareg SUV.

Underneath that skin, the Race Touareg 3 resembles the Race Touareg 2, and continues to utilize a custom tube frame chassis and independent suspension with long-travel dampers. Power continues to come from a 2.5-liter TDI turbo-diesel I-4, although it’s been gifted with an improved cooling system and a larger intercooler. As a result, VW says it’s rated at 310 horsepower, roughly 10 ponies more than last year’s truck. That extra power, channeled through a five-speed sequential gearbox, allows the Race Touareg 3 to blitz from 0-62 mph in 6.1 seconds, and hit a top speed of 117 mph on virtually any surface.

The next Dakar rally won’t commence until January 2011, but Volkswagen’s already planning a massive assault upon the Argentinean rally. VW expects to enter four Race Tourareg 3s in the event, piloted by some stellar names. Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz managed to win the 2010 Dakar event, while Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz won the race in 2009.

Source: Volkswagen

Read more: http://wot.motortrend.com/6704526/motorsports/hat-trick-volkswagen-seeks-another-dakar-win-with-new-race-touareg-3/index.html#ixzz0xTEpZsxx

Jarvis Gennari Earns First Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Victory

Jarvis Gennari Earns First Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Victory

Win Marks Fifth Race Winner of 2010 Season

ELKHART LAKE, Wis., Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ — Series rookie, Jarvis Gennari, earned his first Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup victory yesterday at Road America after an exciting battle with Chris Wehrheim, the event’s polesitter and eventual second-place finisher.  Gennari and Wehrheim swapped the lead all afternoon, but the Boca Raton, FL native was able to regain the lead on the white flag lap to take the win.

“It was a nerve wracking, but exciting day,” said Gennari.  “Chris (Wehrheim) and I were racing really hard the entire afternoon.  I’ve been competing against him for the past few years on the karting circuit and we’ve always raced closely and cleanly.  We have a lot of mutual respect for one another; so not only was the race exciting, but the fact that I was racing with him made it that much better. Throughout the year, I’ve been working harder and harder to be competitive and now I’ve finished in the top-four at the past three events. At the beginning the season, I never would’ve thought I could run up front, let alone earn a victory. So it is a fantastic feeling to have won.”

Rookie, Kevin Gleason, finished the race in third, marking his second consecutive third-place finish.  Wyatt Gooden, the Series points leader, brought his car home in fourth and Jake Thompson finished fifth.

With just three races left in the 2010 season, the points race remains tight with just 35 points separating the top-five drivers.  After his fourth-place result, Wyatt Gooden retains the lead in the Championship with 224 points.  Race winner, Gennari, would have taken second place in the standings, but was penalized thirty points due to a blocking penalty and dropped to sixth in the Championship.  Therefore, Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle moves into second place with 202 and that moves Jake Thompson into third place with 200 points.  Arie Ouimet is in fourth place with 192 points and JD Mobley rounds out the top-five with 189 points.

Jetta TDI Cup News & Notes:

Ouimet Named as Candidate for 21st Annual Team USA Scholarship

It was announced yesterday at Road America that Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup rookie, Arie Ouimet has been nominated as one of eight candidates for the Team USA Scholarship.  Ouimet and the other candidates will be competing for a pair of scholarships to contest the traditional end-of-season Formula Ford events in England in October and November.  The selection for the two winners will be determined at a “shoot-out” at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Chandler, Arizona in September.

Past Team USA Scholarship winners include Jimmy Vasser (the award’s inaugural winner in 1990), Bryan Herta, Buddy Rice, Memo Gidley, Paul Edwards, Andy Lally, Joey Hand, Bryan Sellers and J.R. Hildebrand.

Pair of Guest Drivers at Road America

There were two guest drivers competing in Round 7 of the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup event at Road America, Cooper MacNeil, a SCCA Nationally Licensed Touring 2 driver and racing broadcaster Ralph Sheheen.  Cooper would end up finishing the event in 21st place and Sheheen would bring his car home in 25th.

“I had an absolutely fantastic weekend,” said Sheheen after the race.  “I’ve seen a lot of driver development programs over the years and I’m so impressed with the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup.  This is, by far, one of the most impressive Series I’ve seen as far as the amount of tools and resources provided to drivers to further their careers.  As far as preparation and performance, the cars are incredible.  I never would’ve thought that a front-wheel, turbo diesel engine would make such a thrilling racecar.”

Follow the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Series action on:

www.vwmotorsportusa.com

Volkswagen Online Newsroom: media.vw.com

Live Timing & Scoring: http://livetiming.net/scca/VW

Live Timing & Scoring for your Mobile Device: http://livetiming.net/SCCA/VW/html.asp

Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/JettaTDICup

Twitter: http://twitter.com/VWJettaTDICup

About the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup

The SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup was launched in 2008 as way to introduce clean diesel technology to the U.S. market and develop the best of motorsport’s up-and-coming talent. During the season, young, up and coming drivers (between ages 16-26) compete on road courses around North America in identical factory-prepared clean diesel powered Jetta TDI’s. Each driver competing in the Series earns a professional racing license from SCCA Pro Racing at the conclusion of the season. In addition to more than $50,000 in prize money at stake during the season, the Series Champion receives Volkswagen factory career advancement support with a value up to $100,000.

The Jetta TDI Cup car is powered by a 2.0-liter, 170 hp, four-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine mated to a six-speed, double-clutch, automatic DSG transmission. The car is only slightly modified from stock with Pirelli racing tires, an on-board Race Data system, race suspension and brake components, drivers racing safety seat, FIA roll cage and an on-board fire extinguisher system.  Series sponsors include: Pirelli, Bosch, ViON, Castrol, Oakley, Red Bull, Staubli, Aggreko, defNder, Lamin-X, Volkswagen Driver Gear, Volkswagen Parts & Service, iRacing, Safety-Kleen and Ringer Gloves.

About Volkswagen of America

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Golf, GTI, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Eos, Passat, Passat Wagon, CC, Tiguan, Touareg and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2010 Volkswagens come standard-equipped with Electronic Stabilization Program. This is important because the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or www.media.vw.com to learn more.

About SCCA Pro Racing:

A wholly owned subsidiary of Sports Car Club of America, Inc., SCCA Pro Racing Inc. is a leading sanctioning body for motorsports events in the United States. A member of the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS), SCCA Pro Racing operates and sanctions the World Challenge Championships, the SCCA Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup, SCCA Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, SCCA Pro Trans-Am Series, Spec Racer Ford Pro Series and Formula Enterprises Pro Series. For more information, please visit www.sccapro.com.

SOURCE Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Volkswagen to Bring Back $85,000 Phaeton to U.S.

Volkswagen to Bring Back $85,000 Phaeton to U.S. After Flop

By Andreas Cremer – // Aug 19, 2010 3:56 AM CT Thu Aug 19 08:56:55 GMT 2010

An employee labels a Volkswagen AG Phaeton automobile during inspection in the company’s factory in Dresden. Photographer: Michele Tantussi/Bloomberg

A Volkswagen AG Phaeton automobile sits in an inspection tunnel in the company’s factory in Dresden. Photographer: Michele Tantussi/Bloomberg

Volkswagen AG plans to bring back the $85,000 Phaeton to the U.S., where the sedan flopped and was withdrawn in 2006, as part of the German carmaker’s aim of tripling its share of the world’s second-largest market by 2018.

“We have our eyes firmly set on the U.S. market,” Juergen Borrmann, director of Volkswagen’s plant in Dresden, Germany, where the Phaeton is built, said in an interview. The model will be completely redesigned and retooled before VW begins selling the high-end sedan in the U.S. again, he said.

Former CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder pulled the Phaeton from the U.S. four years ago after the car failed to meet sales goals and called a 20,000 global target a “pipe dream.” His successor, Martin Winterkorn, later threw his full support behind the model and announced plans to keep the Phaeton. Sales last year fell 27 percent to 4,500 cars.

“The U.S. is a most lucrative market for high-end sedans and VW has to tackle that potential if it wants to credibly expand its U.S. presence,” said Willi Diez, head of the Nuertingen, Germany-based Institute for Automobile Industry, a state-funded think tank.

Volkswagen’s preferred shares gained as much as 1.27 euros, or 1.6 percent, to 79.30 euros and were up 1.1 percent as of 10:55 a.m. in Frankfurt trading. The stock has advanced 21 percent this year, valuing the Wolfsburg, Germany-based carmaker at 35 billion euros.

Face-Lifted Phaeton

Volkswagen this year is introducing an updated Phaeton, which has new front and rear sections, an interior upgrade and a wider selection of engines, as part of the model’s first overhaul since 2007. The face-lifted Phaeton entered European showrooms in June and goes on sale in China next month.

VW, Europe’s biggest carmaker, plans to reintroduce the Phaeton in the U.S. when the next generation of the model comes to market, Borrmann said in the Aug. 17 interview, declining to give a timeframe.

Headed for its eighth straight annual loss in the U.S., VW aims to almost triple the carmaker’s share of the U.S. market to 6 percent by 2018 and boost deliveries to 1 million cars, including the Audi luxury unit. U.S. progress is a key component of Winterkorn’s goal of surpassing Toyota Motor Corp. in sales and profitability.

The Phaeton, named after the son of the Greek god Helios, went on sale in 2002, with development costs exceeding 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion). The model was part of an effort by Supervisory Board Chairman Ferdinand Piech, who was then CEO, to make the VW brand more upscale and compete against Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz.

Forced Out

Axel Mees, Audi’s North American chief, was forced to leave the company in November 2004 after he criticized the Phaeton and Piech in an interview, saying he would not buy the car because it has a VW logo and was sold at Volkswagen dealerships alongside other volume brands.

Winterkorn, who took over as CEO on Jan. 1, 2007, has rejected criticism from analysts, including Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer of the Center for Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, that the car has failed to compete with BMW and Mercedes while inflicting high development and production costs.

“Without our flagship Phaeton, VW wouldn’t be where we are today in terms of technology and image,” Winterkorn said in April during a presentation of a face-lifted version of the current Phaeton in Beijing.

The Phaeton’s successor may be available by 2013 following the car’s latest revamp, Diez estimated.

Full Capacity

For the first time since the Dresden plant, which does the Phaeton’s final assembly, began operations in 2001, production is running at full capacity and VW will add Saturday shifts to keep up with growing demand, Borrmann said.

“Business is developing very well, we’re headed for a record year,” Borrmann said in his office overlooking the all- glass factory’s assembly line. “We’re looking at a sustained upward trend, a really strong demand curve that’s also manifest in our orders.”

Year-to-date Phaeton sales have risen 15 percent, with China accounting for as much as 70 percent of deliveries, he said. Germany and South Korea, the second- and third-biggest markets for the car, are posting “slight” gains, he added.

The $238 million plant, one of Dresden’s top tourist sites alongside the city’s opera house and late baroque buildings, attracts about 90,000 visitors a year. Customers and potential buyers regularly visit the Dresden plant to discuss features, collect vehicles or simply see the factory, Borrmann said.

Production areas have all-parquet floors with workers wearing white gowns, sometimes even white gloves as they assemble cars by hand. The factory’s most eye-catching building is a 40-meter (131-foot) glass tower where finished Phaetons are parked prior to delivery.

“We’re making the fascination of auto production visible to the outside world,” Borrmann said. “We’re completely laying open the complexity of how our top-end product is being assembled.”

Hybrid vs. Diesel from MSN.com Autos

Hybrid vs. Diesel

Two champions of stingy, green and efficient driving, the Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Jetta TDI face off mano-a-mano.

By Marc Lachapelle of MSN Autos

Click to enlarge picture

Increased automaker focus on hybrid vehicles, in conjunction with the U.S. arrival of clean diesel fuel, sets the stage for a timely showdown between two thrifty standouts: the Toyota Prius and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

In one corner, the ultimate modern symbol of environmental responsibility, the Toyota Prius. In the other, the best current example of automotive thrift and efficiency as defined in Europe, where space and resources are traditionally scarce and expensive, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

Now in its third generation and second decade on the U.S. market, the Toyota Prius has successfully pioneered hybrid-electric powertrain technology and etched it into the American psyche as the most valid tool currently available to reduce one’s fuel consumption and carbon footprint. The “Clean Diesel”-powered Volkswagen Jetta TDI offers exceptional fuel economy and remarkably clean running with the latest in direct-injected and turbocharged diesel engine technology. Both cars have die-hard fans, great strengths and a few drawbacks.

So which one is the best for you?

Read: 10 Ways to Save at the Pump

Prius: From Second Wind to Mainstream
When Toyota launched the first Prius here as a 2001 model, the frumpy-looking small sedan didn’t look like much and certainly wasn’t impressive to drive. It had tepid acceleration, feel-deprived steering, and an exceptionally jerky brake pedal. Even so, the little car was a true fuel sipper, spewing fewer pollutants out its tailpipe than any other car on the road.

More importantly, however, the Prius stayed almost perfectly reliable — for several hundred thousand miles in some cases — and its battery pack did not self-immolate or explode as naysayers had originally predicted. It also prevailed over Honda’s Insight, the futuristic-looking two-seater coupe that had beat it to market on this continent as the first commercially available hybrid-powered car.

It nevertheless took the significantly improved second-generation Prius to put the original hybrid into the public’s eye and finally make it a market success, albeit a modest one. That second Prius had more modern exterior styling and an instrument panel that brightly showcased the complex interaction of its hybrid powertrain’s components. It also gained a half-foot in length and wheelbase, which made it notably roomier. With a modest hike in total output from 70 to 76 horsepower, its fuel economy numbers went from EPA ratings of 42 mpg city/41 mpg highway to 48/45 mpg thanks to various upgrades, including stronger new batteries.

More on Fuel-Efficient Cars

Better still, the smaller, slimmer, lighter nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack was now laid flat under the rear seat with fold-down seatbacks that made the Prius much more practical. Sales in North America doubled for the 2004 model year to 55,942 cars and again the following year, for a total of 109,853 sales in the 2005 model year.

The third-generation Prius, launched as a 2010 model, is another step. It boasts an almost entirely new hybrid system built around a larger and more powerful 1.8-liter 98-horsepower thermal engine. With a stronger electric motor, its total calculated output is 134 horsepower, up by two dozen over the outgoing model. Built on the same wheelbase, the newest Prius is slightly more aerodynamic with a drag coefficient of 0.25 versus its forebear’s 0.26. It also promises better fuel economy with EPA ratings of 51/48 mpg in spite of the improved power and performance.

Compare: Volkswagen Jetta vs. Toyota Prius vs. Ford Fusion Hybrid

Jetta TDI: Newfound Sense and Civility
The Jetta has been Volkswagen’s best-selling nameplate in North America since the mid-1980s. The fifth-generation Jetta is currently sold as a sedan or the semi-eponymously named SportWagen. In both cases the most fuel-efficient model gets a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder diesel engine with direct injection that develops 140 horsepower.

The introduction of this clean and stingy new turbocharged direct-injected (TDI) diesel engine was made possible for 2009 by the nationwide availability of ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel. These 50-state Jetta TDI models are rated at 30/41 mpg when equipped with the standard 6-speed manual and a touch better with the optional 6-speed dual-automated clutch gearbox, at 30/42 mpg.

Most interior dimensions are surprisingly close to those of the Prius, in spite of the Japanese hybrid’s longer wheelbase and shorter overall length. Unsurprisingly, the Jetta SportWagen has the most space for luggage with a volume of 32.8 cu. ft., while the official count is 21.6 cu. ft. for the Prius and 16 for the Jetta sedan. In all three, the split rear seatbacks can be flipped forward to expand cargo capacity.

A fully redesigned sixth-generation Jetta sedan will be launched in October. This new series will be more than 3.5 inches longer than the previous one and offer more space inside. There will again be a choice of three engines, including the current 2.0-liter TDI turbodiesel.

Walk around on the New 2011 VW Jetta

Just uploaded the walk around video for the All New 2011 VW Jetta to youtube!  Watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPNsASaZdxs

Volkswagen Group Sells Over Four Million Vehicles From January to July Worldwide

The Volkswagen Group sold more than 4 million vehicles in the period from January to July. 4.16 as against to 2009’s  3.65, a growth of 13.7 percent. The four million vehicles were delivered to customers during the first seven months of the current year. In July, the Volkswagen Group delivered 572,200 vehicles worldwide.

“After a very successful first six months we got off to a good start in the second half of the year. Over the coming months we will continue on our growth path with our model range and will perform better than the competition. However, this will be a challenge, given an operating environment that is again becoming difficult. Now that incentive programs have come to an end, the global automotive market is expected to decline in the second half of the year. There will not be a return to the high pre-crisis levels this year” said Christian Klingler, Group Board Member for Sales.

In China deliveries in the first seven months grew 42.2 percent to 1.11 (0.78) million. For the entire Asia/Pacific region Volkswagen reported a growth rate of 42.3 percent with deliveries totaling 1.23 million vehicles. The highest percentage increase was 121 percent, and was once again recorded on the Indian market with 21,300 units handed over. In Europe, the Group delivered a total of 2 million vehicles to customers, corresponding to a rise of 2.2 percent, while the overall market contracted by 1.8 percent. In Western Europe (excluding Germany) Volkswagen reported growth of 18.4 percent.

Developments on the German market remain very subdued. The continuing weak market, strongly influenced by the effects of the scrapping premium last year, contracted by 29 percent between January and July. The Volkswagen Group performed better, delivering 606,200 vehicles.

In South America deliveries for the period January to July grew to 483,300 as against 472,200 last year. In North America, 309,200 vehicles were delivered to customers, with the USA accounting for 207,100.  Both the Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brands again performed very well: The core brand delivered 2.62 (2.30) million passenger cars during the period January to July, an increase of 14.0 percent. Apart from the Golf family and the Tiguan, demand in China for the very successful Lavida, Passat Lingyu, Jetta and New Bora models was particularly high. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles reported a rise of 12.9 percent during the first seven months to 236,600 as against 209,500 units last year.

Volkswagen will capitalise on the expansion trend in India. With the launch of the VW Vento, the company would surely try to capitalise on its popularity here. The Polo Sedan sure looks promising  and with the features it will certainly see those sales figures go up.

2011 Volkswagen Jetta sedan Omaha World Hearld Article

Here’s the link…http://www.omaha.com/article/20100809/AUTOS99/708099904

2011 Volkswagen Jetta sedan
By G. Chambers Williams III
SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Volkswagen’s goal is to grow U.S. market by making vehicles more affordable. 

VOLKSWAGEN: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta sedan

Volkswagen this week in New York unveiled the redesigned 2011 Jetta compact sedan, slightly bigger than the current model but with a lower starting price — about $16,000.

That’s down from $17,735 (plus $750 freight) for the base 2010 S model with a 170-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual transmission. A six-speed automatic in the current model adds $1,100.

The 2011 model’s lower starting price puts the Jetta more in line with its key competitors, including the all-new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, as well as the segment-leading Toyota Corolla, the Honda Civic, Mazda3, Ford Focus and Nissan Sentra, among others in a crowded field. Most begin at or just under $16,000.

Just what will be included on the new Jetta at that price hasn’t been revealed yet. If it’s a quite-basic model, that might defeat the purpose of the lower price — especially if consumers have to pay more for such items as air conditioning and power windows/mirrors/door locks, which generally are considered necessary by today’s consumers.

Making its vehicles more affordable will be one key to Volkswagen achieving its plan of doubling U.S. sales by the end of model year 2012, from last year’s total of just under 214,000. The German automaker also has a goal of annual U.S. sales of 800,000 by 2018 and is building a factory in Chattanooga, Tenn., to help it reach that target.

The new plant, scheduled to open early next year, will produce a new midsize sedan for the U.S. market that is supposed to cost less than the Passat. In recent years, the Passat has been premium-priced in comparison with most others in its class, such as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu.

Volkswagen hasn’t named the new midsize car yet, or shown any photos of it.

But analysts agree that, along with the compact Jetta and Golf, the new midsize model will be essential to the company reaching its long-term sales goal, and going from a niche player to a mainstream brand in this market.

The Jetta, Golf and New Beetle are made in North America as well, on a sprawling campus outside Puebla, Mexico, which also recently included a factory for the last generation of the original rear-engine Beetle. Production of those cars, which were sold only in the Mexican market, ended in 2003.

As for the new Jetta, only the sedan was shown this week. The 2010 model lineup includes a wagon version, but no announcement was made in New York about when or whether a wagon model would be available after this year.

The 2011 Jetta goes on sale in October and will be offered with a variety of gasoline engines and the 2.0-liter four-cylinder TDI (turbo-diesel direct injection) now available in the Jetta sedan and wagon, as well as in the Golf.

In the current Jetta, that engine provides EPA fuel economy of up to 42 mpg on the highway, which beats the performance of several of today’s gasoline-electric hybrids.

But VW said the new Jetta also will be offered with a hybrid drive system, although no fuel-economy estimates have been announced yet — or a price.

The 2.5-liter gasoline four-cylinder will be standard, and two 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engines will be optional. Manual transmission will be standard on all, but automatics will be available, including the double-clutch six-speed DSG gearbox, which the company says is one of the most efficient automatics in the world.

Jetta trim levels will be the base S, SE, SEL, GLI and TDI. The TDI engine has a whopping 236 foot-pounds of torque, which helps push the car from zero to 60 mph in just 8.7 seconds, Volkswagen says.

The new Jetta has been completely redesigned inside and out and is 3.5 inches longer than the current model. That translates into 2.6 inches more legroom for rear-seat passengers. Volkswagen says that will give the car best-in-class rear passenger space — about the same as that of the current Ford Taurus large sedan.

Although it’s marketed in the compact class, even today’s Jetta is larger and roomier than many of its competitors, making it closer to midsize.

The car is 182.7 inches long, compared with just 178.7 inches for the 2010 Corolla and 175.5 inches for the Civic. But it’s close to the 183.1-inch length of the new 2010 Suzuki Kizashi, which is marketed as a midsize sedan. The Camry, though, is nearly 5 inches longer, and the Accord almost 9 inches.

Volkswagen says the Jetta’s revised exterior features the new “design DNA” of the brand, which “has resulted in clear, precise lines and athletically muscular surfaces, which lend a timeless elegance” to the car.

Among styling cues are a high-gloss black grille, which extends into trapezoid-shaped headlights; a painted bumper; a tray-shaped front spoiler; and a V-shaped hood. Wheel sizes will range up to 18inches.

Inside, a center dash console holds controls for the heating/air conditioning, audio and navigation systems. Easy-to-read round instruments are used, and there is a multifunction trip computer.

The car seats five, with two in bucket seats up front and three on the rear bench. The back seat has a 60/40 split-folding design that allows for increasing trunk space to carry bulky objects. The trunk can be opened from inside the car with a remote switch up front.

Standard safety features include seat-mounted side air bags in the front, side-curtain air bags over the doors, electronic stability control, antilock brakes and tire-pressure monitoring.

No other 2011 pricing information has been released yet, but the 2010 sedan runs as high as $24,990 (plus freight and options).

2011 Volkswagen Jetta sedan

Prices: To be announced
Engine: 2.5-liter, gasoline four-cylinder (standard) (600 h.p.)
Fuel economy: 23 mpg city, 30 mpg highway

NEW 2011 VW Jetta Hot Laps!!!

Just back from Chicago.  Two new videos showing the all New 2011 VW Jetta..