Autoblog

Despite the fact that Volkswagen's 2009 Jetta TDI sedan and Sportwagen cost more and have yet to get here, plus fuel prices in the five-dollar range, customer desire for the sparkless VeeDubs is running high. Perhaps buyers don't realize that these ain't the old Rabbit rattlers that cost three cents to run and would rack up a billion miles with five tanks of fuel. TDI maintenance costs are not insignificant, but the allure of inherent efficiency has folks putting their money where their mouths are and some dealers have sold out before even taking delivery. All in all, an auspicious start for the latest TDI Jetta.

Not faring as well is the Tiguan, VW's smallest 'ute. While we find the Tiguan delightful to drive and well executed besides the smallish cargo area (Jetta Wagon FTW), the launch hasn't gone as swimmingly as Wolfsburg had hoped. Maybe the TDI powertrain could add some sales sparkle to the Tiguan. It would fit, being on basically the same platform as the Golf.

[Source: Automotive News]

When we got our first chance to sample the new Volkswagen Jetta TDI last summer, VW of America CEO Stefan Jacoby indicated that the new compact diesel would achieve mileage in the 40mpg range. More recently, VW has been indicating that the Jetta TDI is capable of up to 60mpg on the highway. The first of the new 50-state legal Jettas were recently spotted on their way to dealerships and now the EPA has published official mileage numbers. Unfortunately,wrong those numbers don't quite match up with what VW has been claiming.

According to the official listing at FuelEconomy.gov, the 6-speed manual 2009 VW Jetta TDI managed 30mpg on the city cycle and 41mpg on the highway cycle, making its combined number 34mpg. Now those numbers are certainly respectable and nothing to sneeze at, but they fall well short of VW's predictions. Nonetheless, the TDI rates 41.7-percent better than the 2.5L five cylinder and 36-percent better than the 2.0 TFSI four cylinder. The big question is what will a diesel Jetta do in the real world? According to VW spokesman Keith Price, Volkswagen's diesels typically do better in real world mileage than the EPA sticker values. VW, you know where to find our garage so we can judge for ourselves. Thanks for the tip, Conner and Jason!


[Source: FuelEconomy.gov]

Click above to view high-res gallery of the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SE

"I think we're gonna have to buy a Volkswagen," I told me wife just hours after signing for the keys to a 2008 Jetta 2.5 SE. I had only done about four miles in the car and, already, the near-luxury interior and throaty exhaust had won me over.

But my wife was skeptical of a sedan's ability to handle the needs of our pack-rat family even if it did have 170 horses. So I drove the handsome little VW a couple of days more before turning it over to her for toddler-toting duty. I felt sure she'd see the positives of German engineering by week's end.


All photos Copyright ©2008 Chris Tutor / Weblogs, Inc.

When I was in high school, my older brother had a Wolfsburg Edition VW Jetta. It had a 1.8 turbo, a knobby little shifter and BBS rims. It was pretty cool and I wasn't allowed to drive it. Several years have passed, and I'm still not allowed to drive my brother's Jetta Wolfsburg, but Volkswagen is unveiling a new one.

Replacing last year's 2.5-liter Wolfsburg model (shown), the new Wolfsburg Edition gets its 200 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque from Volkswagen's 2-liter turbo four and throws 17-inch alloys, leatherette seats (just when we thought vinyl upholstery had gone the way of the dodo) and the requisite special badging into the mix. Volkswagen of America will make 12,500 Wolfsburgs in silver, black, red or gray, with six speeds in either clutched ($20,875) or dual-clutched ($21,950) transmissions for a whole new generation of jealous kid brothers and their grubby little hands.

Press release after the jump.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Hybrid-electric cars are seen by many as the most effective way of saving the environment, while diesels are often shunned as being dirty, smog-producing motors designed for trucks. This anti-diesel view couldn't be further from the truth. Modern diesel engines in many cases offer superior mileage to their hybrid counterparts and, with the latest exhaust particulate filters, are just as clean, too.

Paul Eisenstein from Popular Mechanics (didn't he found The Car Connection?) managed to get an exclusive test-drive of one of Volkswagen's 2008 Jetta Diesel prototypes. The car is running VW's brand-spanking new clean diesel technology in the form of a 2.0L four cylinder common-rail diesel engine that will meet the Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards for all 50 US states. Check out the video after the jump. The VW guy talking is a bit preachy, but the new Jetta Diesel is an important product for the coming diesel revolution. Since the U.S. market is used to seeing diesel-powered Volkswagens running about, we doubt it will make as big a splash in the marketplace as Honda's Diesel Accord or GM's half-ton pickups with the new 4.5L V8 Diesel Duramax, but it's great to see this hybrid humbling little car back on sale after its short hiatus.

[Source: Popular Mechanics]

Cable network Outdoor Life Network (OLN) is set to debut a 13-part television series featuring actress Daryl Hannah, a modified Chevrolet S-10, hemp oil, and an AstroTurf-covered 1982 Volkswagen Jetta that runs on bio diesel. Coolfuel: Roadtrip charts the journey of Australian Shaun Murphy (and his Jack Russell terrier, Sparky) as he traverses 30 states on 30 unique vehicles, running solely on alternative fuels.

Highlights include a bio diesel Hummer limousine, an Electra Cruiser electric Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and a BMW Z3 that runs on corn whiskey.

Coolfuel: Roadtrip premieres Tuesday on OLN at 8 pm Eastern.

Check out the link for the show's website, which includes video clips, images, and alternative fuel educational resources.