Great Article about the 2011 VW Jetta

See it here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/topdown/detail?entry_id=73526

VW enhances Jetta’s competitive edge

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// Volkswagen’s redesigned 2011 Jetta sedan has now arrived, and at the top end, it’s full of amenities and surprises.

One of the surprises is the Jetta’s affordability, especially considering that Volkswagen’s own research showed that Americans consider the company’s cars to be too expensive.

The 2011 model range begins at $15,995 (plus $750 freight) and tops out at $24,195 for the diesel-powered TDI model with all the extras, including touch-screen navigation, keyless access with push-button start, fog lights, chrome grille and window trim, and a driver’s seat lumbar adjustment.

Base price for the diesel model is a reasonable $22,995 with a six-speed manual gearbox. It’s reasonable because this vehicle is comparable to the popular Toyota Prius hybrid in price, yet without a gasoline-electric hybrid drive system it still achieves EPA fuel-economy ratings of up to 42 mpg on the highway — compared with 48 mpg for the Prius.

The Jetta diesel even beats the highway mileage ratings of several hybrids, including the Ford Fusion, which is 36 mpg. (The city rating of the Jetta TDI, though, is 30 mpg, compared with 41 for the Fusion and 51 for the Prius.)

At the top of the gasoline-powered model list is the SEL, our test vehicle, with a base price of $21,395 with a five-speed manual gearbox and a top price of $23,395 with the six-speed automatic transmission, sunroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless access/push-button start, in-dash navigation system, trim computer and other amenities.

The under-$16,000 price brings the base S model with the five-speed manual, and that price is down from $17,735 for the base 2010 S model. The difference, though, is that the 2010 base model came with a 170-horsepower five-cylinder engine, while the 2011 model has a 2.0-liter, 115-horsepower four-cylinder. That engine was not offered in the 2010 model.

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

To get the 170-horsepower engine in the 2011 model, you’ll have to move up to the SE version, which begins at $18,195 with the five-speed manual.

The S model isn’t stripped down, though, despite having the less powerful engine. Among standard features are air conditioning, power windows with one-touch up/down on all four, power door locks with remote, power/heated outside mirrors, 15-inch steel wheels, a 60/40 split-folding rear seat and a four-speaker AM/FM/compact-disc audio system with auxiliary input.

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. It is building a factory in Chattanooga, Tenn., to help it reach that point.

The Tennessee plant, scheduled to open early next year, will produce a new midsize sedan for the U.S. market that will be priced lower than the Passat, which will be discontinued. The Jetta, Golf and New Beetle are made in North America as well, at a plant near Puebla, Mexico.

As for the new Jetta, only a sedan model is available now. The 2010 lineup also included a wagon version, but no information has been provided about when or whether the redesigned Jetta line eventually will include a wagon.

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

The 2.5-liter gasoline five-cylinder engine is standard on the SE and SEL models, while the 2.0-liter four is available only on the S model. Manual transmissions are 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.

The 2.0-liter clean-diesel engine has 140 horsepower and 236 foot-pounds of torque, which helps push the car from zero to 60 mph in just 8.7 seconds with either the manual or automatic transmission, Volkswagen says. SE and SEL models with the five-cylinder gas engine can reach 60 mph in 8.2 seconds with the manual and 8.5 with the automatic.

Volkswagen has redesigned the Jetta inside and out, making it 3.5 inches longer than the 2010 model. That allows for 2.6 inches more legroom for rear-seat passengers, giving it best-in-class rear passenger space — about the same as that of the current Ford Taurus large sedan.

Although it’s marketed against compact sedans, the new Jetta is larger and roomier than most of its competitors, making it closer to midsize. The 2011 model has the space of a midsize sedan, but costs about the same as the compacts. It’s 182.7 inches long, compared with just 178.7 inches for the Corolla and 175.5 inches for the Civic.

It’s almost as long as the new Suzuki Kizashi, which is marketed as a midsize sedan. The Camry, though, is nearly 5 inches longer and the Accord almost 9 inches.

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

But it is rather bland, I must say. My tester, with a white exterior, looked quite generic as far as affordable sedans go, except for the very nice 17-inch alloy wheels.

The real surprise when you get behind the wheel of the 2011 Jetta — especially with the five-cylinder engine — is just how well this car handles. I believe that even appliance-car buyers might be impressed.

First, there is the steering, which is power-assisted, but just enough to keep from making driving a chore. The Jetta still has the firm, precise steering response of a sport sedan or even a sports car. Point the Jetta exactly where you want it to go, and it will go there, no questions asked. It is perhaps the most fun car to drive that I’ve found in this price class.

The five-cylinder engine is no slouch, either, and seems more like it’s turbocharged than normally aspirated. The first time I kicked the pedal to the floor on an uphill ramp onto a freeway, I was convinced the car had a turbo engine. I was doing 75 mph before I got off the ramp.

But that’s the nature of Volkswagen these days. The company still puts German engineering in all of its vehicles, and they’re just a delight to drive. Among the Japanese automakers, you’ll find that with most Nissan, Mazda and Subaru vehicles, but usually not many others.

With the five-cylinder and the manual gearbox, EPA ratings are 23 mpg city/33 highway; with the automatic, 24/31. Four-cylinder gasoline models are rated at 24/34 with the manual and 23/32 with the automatic. The diesel is 30 city/42 highway (manual or automatic).

Among the styling cues on the new Jetta 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 range up to 18 inches.

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.

Our tester came with a quite functional in-dash navigation system, and we had bolstered sport bucket seats up front.

There is room for up to five passengers. The back seat folds in that 60/40 split to expand trunk space. The trunk can be opened from inside the car with a remote switch up front or by pushing a button on the remote. And instead of just unlatching, the trunk lid pops up to its full open position with a push of either button. That’s very convenient when you have your hands full.

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.

S and SE models come with front disc and rear drum brakes, but the SEL and TDI versions have four-wheel disc brakes.

 

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/topdown/detail?entry_id=73526#ixzz118JciSWO

The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III appear Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the Express-News Drive section. Contact him at (210) 250-3236; chambers@express-news.net.

2011 VW Jetta Videos

See  all three! 

The 2011 VW Jetta’s have arrived!

They are here!  The 2011 VW Jetta’s are binging un-loaded right now.  Call me at 877-717-3998 to get yours!  Mark White Schworer VW, Lincoln, NE!

We got a S model, a SE w/conv. and sunroof, and an SEL.

Volkswagen of America Announces 21% Increase in Year-to-Date Sales

Jetta SportWagen Sets All-Time Sales Records While Passat Has Best Sales Month In Nearly Two Years

HERNDON, Va., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ — Volkswagen of America, Inc. today reported that August marked a 21 percent increase in year-to-date sales for their entire line of vehicles. August 2010 sales decreased 7.9 percent when compared with the same time last year, which included historic sales as part of the launch of the U.S. government’s “cash for clunkers” program.

The Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen had its best month ever with 2,560 units sold, a 125 percent increase compared with August 2009.  The popular Passat also had an exceptional month with 1,669 units sold, marking its best sales month since December 2008 and a 35 percent increase in year-over-year sales growth.  The luxurious Volkswagen CC recorded a 31 percent increase in sales compared with the same month last year.  

Volkswagen’s line of sporty compact vehicles also had a great month as both the Golf and GTI saw increases in sales compared to August 2009.  The Golf sold 1,409 units, a 70 percent increase from the same month last year while the GTI saw a 22 percent increase compared with the same time period in 2009.

Consumers continued to show their commitment to purchasing more fuel efficient vehicles as Volkswagen’s clean diesel TDI models increasingly gained popularity with the Jetta TDI, Jetta SportWagen TDI, Touareg TDI and Golf TDI all having year-to-year sales increase in August of nearly 25 percent.

“We are thrilled to see that more and more car buyers are turning to Volkswagen vehicles to take advantage of our unique combination of German-engineered driving experience, cutting-edge design, fuel economy, and safety,” said Mark Barnes, Interim-President, Volkswagen of America, Inc.  “We expect to see continued growth in the coming months as we introduce several new models, including the all-new Jetta and Touareg.”

Volkswagen of America, Inc.

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 Eos, Golf, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, 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 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.

VW-US Snapshot

					———- YEAR-TO-DATE ———-
	August-10 Actual	August-09 Actual	Yr/Yr % change		August-10  YTD Actual	August-09 YTD Actual	Yr/Yr % change
Rabbit/Golf	1,409	826	70.6%		10,204	5,425	88.1%
GTI A5/A6	967	787	22.9%		10,087	5,124	96.9%
R32	–	4	-100.0%		–	139	-100.0%
Total Rabbit/Golf/GTI/R32	2,376	1,617	46.9%		20,291	10,688	89.8%
Jetta Sdn	8,107	11,739	-30.9%		59,541	60,509	-1.6%
SportWagen A5/A6	2,560	1,133	125.9%		16,797	11,084	51.5%
Total Jetta	10,667	12,872	-17.1%		76,338	71,593	6.6%
New Beetle – Coupe	866	1,125	-23.0%		10,188	6,687	52.4%
– Convertible	339	551	-38.5%		3,547	3,299	7.5%
Total  New Beetle	1,205	1,676	-28.1%		13,735	9,986	37.5%
Eos	610	861	-29.2%		5,188	5,399	-3.9%
Passat Sdn	1,669	1,233	35.4%		8,640	6,866	25.8%
Wgn	326	247	32.0%		1,994	1,632	22.2%
Total Passat	1,995	1,480	34.8%		10,634	8,498	25.1%
CC	2,602	1,980	31.4%		18,761	12,897	45.5%
Tiguan	1,598	1,750	-8.7%		13,956	8,953	55.9%
Touareg	242	489	-50.5%		2,511	2,669	-5.9%
Routan	1,560	2,098	-25.6%		11,333	11,738	-3.5%
TOTAL	22,855	24,823	-7.9%		172,747	142,421	21.3%

 

SOURCE Volkswagen of America, Inc.

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

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..

2011 Jetta Launch in Chicago

Hi all,

I’ll be in Chicago this next week for the launch of the ALL NEW 2011 VW Jetta!  I’m hoping to have video for you next week.  Gotta get some of that Chicago Pizza too!!!

2011 VW Jetta in the USA Today!

James Healey isn’t an easy man to please.

New 2011 Volkswagen Jetta blasts its rivals off the road

Updated 7h 52m ago | Comment  | Recommend

By James R. Healey, USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO — It’s hard to overstate the importance of the new Jetta to Volkswagen in the U.S.
Jetta generates about half of VW’s U.S. sales, and the redesigned 2011 Jetta must take the lead if VW is to hit its mark of trebling sales the next few years.
So, VW has made the 2011 Jetta, on sale this October, bigger, much roomier, more refined and less-expensive than the model it replaces to lure new customers. So far, so good.
But VW also has made some changes that could rile its core cadre of loyalists who’ve been buying its cars all along.
Among changes to keep costs down, items likely to be vilified as evidence Jetta has been “dumbed down” to get more mainstream buyers:
•Rear suspension is a so-called “semi-independent torsion beam” instead of true “multi-link” independent rear suspension on the previous version. The latter is valued because, when properly executed, it improves ride, handling and steering. A GLI sport version due next spring will have independent rear suspension.
•Rear brakes are old-style drums on most models, not the discs of the 2010. (VW insists third-party tests show its drums stop as well as, or better than, rivals’ discs.)
•Trip computer, the device that tells you miles per gallon, miles to empty and so on, isn’t offered on the lower models, though is standard on the top version.
•Far fewer combinations of equipment and trim are available — 18 vs. 148 previously, not including color choices. Such simplification is cheaper for VW. It also makes it more likely a dealer will have one you want in stock — if your wants are defined by the 18 choices.
•No leather upholstery is available, even though rivals such as Civic offer it. VW insists that its “leatherette” (textured vinyl), perforated to let your backside breathe, is just as handsome and comfortable. It did seem more than OK in our drives.
The base Jetta, at about $17,000, is $1,700 cheaper than the 2010 base model, thanks to such cost-cutting.
(For a full model-vs.-model price comparison, get our Drive On blog at www.cars.usatoday.com and check the archived July 24 post on Jetta pricing.)
It could be that most people won’t care about Jetta’s apparent technical backsliding.
Evidence: The test cars drove great. Smooth, nimble, quick, comfortable, assured, refined. Everything you want in a vehicle with sporting pedigree and premium image.
No low-level models were on hand, however, to see just how de-contented the new base Jetta feels. We tested SEL sedans with six-speed automatic transmissions, one level above the SE model that VW expects most people to choose. The SEL testers had trip computers and disc brakes on all wheels.
Judged by time in the testers, and from a general perspective rather than a VW partisan’s view, the new car kicks the old one — and many rivals — right off the road.
In fact, the 2011 was so roomy and pleasant and premium (in the SEL) that you could reasonably consider it a lower-price, higher-mileage alternative to bigger cars such as Honda Accord or Ford Fusion.
Special treats:
•The five-cylinder, 2.5-liter engine that’ll be in most versions has been transformed from a cranky workhorse to a smooth, gutty performer with a you-betcha personality. Teamed with the crisp-shifting, six-speed automatic transmission, it delivered a very satisfying drive, both in San Francisco traffic and out on Highway 1 along the twisting Pacific coast.
•Honestly roomy back seat provided more knee and leg room than most midsize and even large cars. More than some big SUVs, in fact. That’s courtesy of a 3-inch stretch of the car vs. its predecessor.
•Driving feel appeared not to have suffered from the rear-suspension change. In fact, the Jetta testers steered, stopped and cornered with the convincing aplomb of higher-price machines.
Bigger cars aren’t as nimble as smaller ones, and the driver’s mind quickly adjusts expectations accordingly. Thus, it’s likely that the mental recalibration because of the 2011 Jetta’s larger size camouflages any compromises you might otherwise feel from rear suspension changes.
•Power windows are one-touch up/down on all four windows. That’s a high-end feature you seldom get outside the true luxury segment. Not only convenient, it minimizes the chances that you accidentally will leave a window down and wind up with a sodden interior from an unexpected rain.
•Sweet, sleek, stylish appearance; a grown-up persona. Not stodgy, but mature, as if the car’s now suitable for a refined, somewhat older driver who has learned to appreciate a car more as an overall package than as a tally of its individual parts.
What we hated: automatic door locks that didn’t automatically unlock. And VW folks on hand said they can’t be reprogrammed to work otherwise.
You come to a stop, hop out of the driver’s seat and yank the back door handle to retrieve your briefcase, gym bag, whatever and the door won’t open. You have to reach back in at the driver’s door and hit the unlock button to get the three other doors to unlatch.
Otherwise, judging the overall package based on the test cars, we’d have to say that the 2011 Jetta will be VW’s best car.
If it’s reliable, it could slam into the compact sedan market like an angry rhino.
ABOUT THE 2011 VOLSKWAGEN JETTAWhat? Full remake of the most popular VW. A front-drive, four-door, five-passenger compact sedan. Gasoline-engine models available with five-speed manual (5MT) or six-speed automatic (6AT) transmission. TDI diesel: six-speed manual (6MT) or six-speed DSG automatically shifted manual.
When? Gasoline models on sale in October. Diesel later this year. GLI sport model late spring 2011. Gas-electric hybrid in 2012.
Where? Made in Mexico.
How much? Base S with manual transmission starts at $16,765 including $770 shipping. Typically equipped: $19,000 to $20,000.
How potent? Base 2-liter four-cylinder rated 115 horsepower at 5,200 rpm, 125 pounds-feet of torque at 4,000.
•2.5-liter five-cylinder: 170 hp at 5,700, 177 lbs.-ft. at 4,250.
•2-liter TDI diesel coming later this year: 140 hp at 4,000, 236 lbs.-ft. at 1,750.
•2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder GLI coming next spring: 200 hp, 207 lbs.-ft.
How big? A big compact: 5 inches longer, an inch wider than Honda Civic. Jetta is 182.2 inches long, 70 inches wide, 57.2 in. tall on a 104.4-in. wheelbase.
•Gas models weigh 2,804 to 3,082 lbs. TDI diesel: 3,161 (6MT) or 3,210 (DSG) lbs.
•Trunk: 15.5 cubic feet.
How thirsty? VW forecasts government mpg ratings of (city/highway/combined driving):
•2.0: 23/32/26, 6AT, 24/34/28 5MT
•2.5: 24/31/27, 6AT, 23/33/26 5MT
•Diesel: 30/42/34 6MT and DSG
•Trip computers in 2.5-liter, automatic-transmission test models showed 20.3 and 22.2 mpg in separate legs mixing San Francisco traffic and rural two-lane roads.
•All models hold 14.5 gallons.
Overall: Terrific.

Autobahn closed last Sunday

Germany’s autobahns are renowned for average speeds well in excess of 80 miles an hour, but the average dropped near zero as tens of thousands of people sat at a 37-mile table for a cultural celebration entitled “Still Life.”

Must be celebrating VW’s “Autobahn for All”