Autoblog

Jeremy, Chris, and Dan push us right up to the cusp of three digits with Autoblog Podcast #99. The topics are wide and varied, such as motorcycles in the Autoblog Garage, the Acura NSX on the 'Ring, and Volkswagen's semi-bogus third-party fuel economy numbers. Some people thought last week's 'cast was too short, so this week, we fill an hour. Now for those of you who think this is too long, we really are trying to please everybody. See you next week for the epic extravaganza of Podcast #100. We're still taking suggestions, too -- hit us up at podcast at autoblog dotte comme.

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Volkswagen revealed today that $21,990 will be the base price for its highly anticipated 2009 Jetta TDI, while the Sportwagen model will start at $23,590. This is extremely aggressive pricing on the part of Volkswagen that places the Jetta TDI in direct competition with the Toyota Prius, as eco-minded shoppers will surely cross-shop the two.

The TDI model will be the equivalent of the SE trim level for gas-powered Jettas. A 2009 Jetta SE 2.5L manual sedan starts at $19,990, which tells us that the high-tech, 50-state-compliant clean diesel engine is worth about a $2,000 premium. The Jetta TDI will, however, be available with either a manual or DSG transmission.

The EPA recently rated the 2009 Jetta TDI at 30 mpg city and 41 mpg highway, which were disappointing numbers for Volkswagen. It has since hired an independent, third-party certifier, AMCI, to ascertain what it refers to as the Jetta's "true fuel economy". AMCI came back with a better rating (surprise!) of 38 mpg city and 44 mpg highway. Whether or not you think it's fair for Volkswagen to go around the EPA in search of a higher fuel economy rating, we were just as surprised at how low the EPA numbers were. We're eager to get one in the Autoblog Garage ASAP for a review so we can test its "true fuel economy" for ourselves.

[Source: VW]

Click above for high-res gallery of race action from Jetta TDI Cup

The first race of the first all-diesel, road racing series in America took place this past weekend at VIRginia International Raceway, and we were there, or rather AutoblogGreen was there, to watch it go down. The gorgeous VIR long course proved to be a great setting for the opening round of Volkswagen's new Jetta TDI Cup series. The new series is both a continuation of VW's history of grassroots racing, as well as promotion for the new Jetta TDI that launches this summer. Volkswagen had an open casting call earlier this year for young amateur racing drivers and picked the 30 best to run in the promotional series. Prior to arriving at VIR for Friday's first practice, the drivers had one day of actual running in the Jettas during the driver selection process at the beginning of April. Though the Jetta TDI race cars were slightly modified from their production counterpart for safety reasons, they still managed to return 25 mpg... while racing.

Hit the jump for more...


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

The new, fifty-state legal Jetta BlueTDI is finally done and it's coming soon. At the International Vienna Motor Symposium in Austria, Volkswagen announced that it's completed development on what they are calling the BlueTDI system for their US diesels. Like Mercedes (BlueTec) and BMW (BluePerformance), VW is adopting the Blue moniker for their cleanest, most efficient systems. The Jetta BlueTDI will be the first Tier2 Bin5 compliant diesels that doesn't have to use a urea injection system to meet the new NOx emissions standard. VW started with the updated 2.0L TDI that was launched in the European Tiguan last fall. Individual cylinder pressure sensors were added that allow the engine management system to optimize the fuel injection pulses to keep combustion temperatures down. That helped VW eliminate 60-percent of the NOx emissions before you even get to the exhaust stream. The exhaust gas flowing from the 2.0L engine are low enough that VW was able to use a lean NOx trap to convert the remaining NOx to nitrogen and water. However, the larger 3.0L V-6 TDI that is coming in the Touareg and Audi Q7 at the end of the year will have to use urea injection. In addition to the NOx trap, there is a particulate filter to eliminate the soot often associated with diesel engines. The new Jetta will be able to get up to 60mpg when cruising on the highway, a boost of 12-percent over the last US-market Jetta TDI from 2006. The Jetta BlueTDI should be the first of the new round of diesels to come to market when it arrives later this summer. The first batch of cars should actually start arriving at US dealers in June, where they will be available for test drives through the summer before going on sale in September.

[Source: Volkswagen]

For those of you impatiently waiting for the VW Jetta Sportwagen, there's something new over at VW.com to keep you busy a few more days. Along with photos of the car inside and out, there are stats, options and a base price that's closer to the true price than the rough estimate we had before. Entry-level price for the anxiously-awaited wagon is $24,500. The site says you get an 8-speaker stereo with aux-in, ABS and traction control for that number.

We assume that's with the 5-speed and 170 hp, 2.5 liter gasoline engine that gets 21 city, 29 highway. Which ain't too bad, actually, but not nearly as good as the mid-50s highway mileage the site brags about for the optional TDI. Sadly, there's no mention of how much you'll pay for ticking the TDI box on the option sheet. Or for the 6-speed Tiptronic or the panoramic sunroof or those sweet-looking leather seats. VW also let slip on the site that the Tiguan will be available this spring. Thanks, Julio, for the tip!

[Source: VW.com]

Click the image above for a gallery of high-res shots of the Jetta TSI Racer.

The chosen chariot for the new Volkswagen Racing Cup is a Jetta sporting a 1.4-liter supercharged and turbocharged TSI producing 226 hp, the same mill that won the Best New Engine of 2006 at the International Engine of the Year Awards. Power is sent though a six-speed manual gearbox to a limited slip differential and on down to 18-inch BBS wheels fitted with 225/40 Hankook tires. Exhaust gases are expelled through a race-spec unit, while slowing the 2,690-pound racer is done through a set of 360mm vented discs with 12-pot calipers.

It's a very trick setup that we can't wait to see campaigned during the 2008 season, so expect some reports from the grid later this year. Make the jump for the official press release.

[Source: VW via OneEightTurbo]

When Volkswagen unveiled its new 50 state-certified Jetta 2.0L Clean Diesel TDI back in January, the company line was that the car would be available in the spring of 2008. We've been impatiently waiting because we're excited by the prospect of diesel engines penetrating the U.S. market again, and no other vehicle could do more for the cause than the relatively inexpensive Jetta TDI. Now comes word from the TDI Club forums that the diesel sedan will be further delayed until late summer 2008 because of a "technical issue that was found during the later stages of durability testing."

The news comes via an email sent by VW to its dealers, who are reportedly disappointed that they'll have to wait even longer for this highly anticipated car. Brandweek cites one dealer who claims that three out of every five calls he receives is about the Jetta TDI.

The fact is, the U.S. now has the strictest emissions standards for diesel powerplants, and if an automaker wants to sell its diesel-powered vehicle in all 50 states, it has to meet the even stricter standards set forth by the California Air Resources Board. The complexity that must be involved to achieve this feat is likely considerable, especially without the use of a urea injection system. Hopefully, it'll be worth the wait.

[Source: TDI Club via Brandweek]

When we last talked about the Volkswagen Touareg, we noted the new facelifted fascia, the freshened interior, the addition of ABS Plus, enhanced ESP, and most importantly, the possible addition of the 5.0-liter V10 TDI as an available engine. Despite no firm news on that front, we did see a Jetta TDI tooling around that would meet the new ultra-low particulate emissions standards by using ultra-low sulfur fuel, fueling our hopes that this hot rod oilburner might make it Stateside. The recent adoption of low-sulfur diesel fuel in the States has made all of this possible and today, VW made it official by announcing the 2006 VW Touareg TDI is on sale now (looks like the refreshened 2007/8 model wasn't ready for the new engine).

The Touareg V10 TDI is available in showrooms starting today. The 5.0-liter diesel engine pumps out 310 horsepower at 3,750 rpm and 553 lbs-ft of torque at just 2,000 rpm. And the best part is that this high power diesel will consume up to 30 percent less fuel than traditional gasoline engines. The Touareg comes with 4-Motion all-wheel drive, ABS, Anti-slip regulation, Electronic Differential Lock, Engine Braking Assist, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Electronic Stabilization Program with brake assist, Hill Descent Assist and Hill Climb Assist. Pricing on the Touareg V10 TDI starts at $67,750, which is surely a steep sum for a mid-size SUV, but this one's kind of special.

Full release and additional photos after the jump.

[Source: Volkswagen]

One lesser-known movement in green car technology is converting diesels to run on SVO, or Straight Vegetable Oil. Unlike biodiesel, which is produced by chemically modifying vegetable oil so that it can be used in a diesel vehicle with no modifications, SVO requires a second fuel system for the vegetable oil in addition to the standard diesel fuel system. Also, one doesn’t operate and fill up an SVO vehicle like a normal petrol or diesel car. It sounds like a lot of work, so why are more and more people kicking up the veggie quotient of their diesels’ diet? We decided to look into it.

No automaker offers an SVO-powered vehicle in its line-up, so tapping a press fleet for a quick evaluation was out of the question. Fortunately we stumbled upon Chuck and Tom Norton, a pair of sibs who run Turtle Plastics, an eco-friendly plastics business in Lorain, OH.  The Norton boys recently had a 2003 Volkswagen Jetta TDi converted to run on SVO. Though Tom’s the primary driver, Chuck was happy to hand over the keys to their “Vega Jet” for a spin last week and helped us understand what it’s like to own and operate a vehicle that eats out of a dumpster. Let us explain…