VW revealed today the new generation of its economy sedan the 2011 Jetta. Going on sale in Europe and America, the new-look Jetta is bigger and longer than the old model and it comes with a new range of refined engines and upgraded equipments. And yet it retains the winning card which is affordability. The base model in America will start form just $16,000.

Based on the NCC coupe concept car shown at the International Auto Show in Detroit, the new Jetta has a more grown up design. It features many great styling cues such as high-gloss black radiator grille, tray-shaped front spoiler or the v-shaped engine hood. As mentioned it is also bigger than the model it replaces. The new Jetta is 182.7-inches long, 57.1 inches tall and 70.1 inches wide (4.64 meter long, 1.45 meter tall, 1.78 meter wide) and it offers a 3inch (7 cm) longer wheelbase.

The interior is classic VW. A very clean and nice layout with top-notch quality for the materials and finishing, but a bit boring! The newly designed console section is slightly inclined toward the driver for ideal alignment of the cockpit, and it also has a new instrument panel with a trip computer. The rear bench seatback is split 40/60 and folds, increasing the car’s versatility.  The tailgate can also be opened from inside the car by a remote unlock switch.  Up to six airbags (two front airbags, two side airbags in front, two window airbags/thorax airbags in the area of the front side windows) are also part of the equipment package.

Engine and Transmission
The North American version of the all-new 2011 Jetta features the powerful and efficient German engineering drivers have come to expect from Volkswagen.  Four engines will be available in the U.S. and Canada, including a 2.0-liter turbodiesel direct injection (TDI) Clean Diesel featuring common rail injection with 236 lbs-ft. of torque (320 Newton-meters).  The engine runs as quietly as a gasoline engine, but yields the power of a sports car achieving 0-60 mph in 8.7 seconds.  Additional engines include the 2.0, 2.5 R5, and as of 2011, the 2.0 TSI.  All Jetta engines will be offered with a manual transmission as standard equipment.  An automatic transmission will also be available with each engine version as an option.  On the new 2.0-liter TDI and 2.0-liter TSI, Volkswagen will offer the 6-speed DSG – one of the most advanced and efficient automatic transmission systems in the world.  In the U.S., S, SE, SEL and TDI versions of the Jetta will be available, as will a 2.0-liter GL.

In Europe, the engine strategy will conform to prevailing market conditions. Smaller engine displacements and charging are key objectives here. This means somewhat less power in the base engines, significantly lower engine displacements, and all engines are charged. Four of the six engines are new to the Jetta program and will be added in 2011: The 1.2 TSI (77 kW /105 PS), 1.4 TSI (118 kW / 160 PS) and two common rail turbodiesels 1.6TDI (77 / kW 105 PS) and 2.0 TDI (103 kW / 140 PS). As usual, the 1.4 TSI (90 kW / 122 PS) and the 2.0 TSI (147 kW / 200 PS) offer high-tech in proven form. Except for the 1.2 TSI, all engines may be paired with a6-speed DSG (77 kW TDI, 103 kW TDI, 147 kW TSI) or 7-speed DSG (90 kW TSI, 118 kW TSI).