New VW Jetta MKVI

[Wimbledon]

Official photos leaked today by Auto Express.

Do you like the new Jetta more than the current MKV Jetta?

[vwestlife]

From what I've seen so far, I like the new Jetta. It looks sharper and cleaner, and a bit more "Audi-like," but also tastefully restrained. But we can't really call it the Mk6, since this is the NCS (New Compact Sedan), right?

[Wimbledon]

VW is calling this the sixth-generation (MKVI) Jetta, as it's largely based on the MKVI Golf.

NCS and NMS (New Midsize Sedan) are to come later from what I understand.

I think this new Jetta is extremely tasteful. I felt the MKIV Jetta was right on target while the MKV went astray into Corolla land (IMO). This newest Jetta is everything a VW should be in my opinion.

Video and more photos released:

[Wimbledon]

We'll have to wait for more details, but I believe the base Jetta's 2.0L four-cylinder is the 16V unit from the Chinese market. That unit is an evolution of the 2.0L that graced Jetta engine bays from the MKIV era.

http://gaycarfans.com/2010/06/2011-mkvi-...eiled.html

Quote: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 GLI.

[VAGuy]

Definitely an improvement! What are the numbers on the Chinese market 2.0 16v?

[Wimbledon]

(06-16-2010 01:23 PM)VAGuy Wrote:  Definitely an improvement! What are the numbers on the Chinese market 2.0 16v?

After doing more research, it appears the U.S. market MKVI's 2.0L is actually closely related to the 8V 2.0L used all the way back in the MKIII Jetta. Yes, MKIII.

Current ratings are 115 hp, 28 MPG combined.

For the base models at a $15k price, it's not too bad. Any higher than that though, and the base engine is simply slaughtered by all the more modern competition including Cruze, Elantra, Focus, etc. VW says it's only a temporary measure, but I wonder if they would have been better off just waiting until the new powerplant is ready after all...at least the 2.5L R5 and TDI engine are available as well.

Nice chops from the VWVortex forums:

[vwestlife]

"AskaVWsalesguy" provides a slideshow and sheds some light on the features of the 2011 Jetta:

The S trim level with the 2.sl0w is obviously intended to be a direct shot at the Honda Civic DX, which doesn't come with A/C or a radio as standard (either) and is just there to advertise the low base price. It also perhaps hints that VW has no plans to offer a new smaller Polo-esque model for the American market, and therefore is attempting to fill in their entry level with a bigger car with a smaller engine and a smaller price tag.

[J_man]

(06-16-2010 02:37 PM)Wimbledon Wrote:  After doing more research, it appears the U.S. market MKVI's 2.0L is actually closely related to the 8V 2.0L used all the way back in the MKIII Jetta. Yes, MKIII.

Current ratings are 115 hp, 28 MPG combined.

Hmmmm, I believe that would still be the same as being related to the mkIV's 8-valve 2.0 as you'd mentioned earlier. The ABA and AEG were demonstrably similar and essentially built upon one another, albeit with different intake geometry and engine management. VWs 8-valve engines have been similar in design for eons, with the cross-flow head being the major change.
They have also always been dead reliable, will practically drink pond scum for fuel, and still return 30+mpg. I have even seen personally that 42mpg was possible with an ABA on 85 octane fuel. So, IMHO the resurrection of a base model 8-valve would not be a completely bad omen if it happens, particularly for reliability-and-cost-of-ownership's sake (even if those who choose automatics will indeed suffer for it).

Still, I've never understood the reasoning behind VW North America's lack of a good 16-valve. Perhaps the 16v 2.0 ABF the mkIII saw in Europe just wasn't reliable enough? Too expensive?

That said, I think this Jetta is nice and I appreciate the less bubbly appearance, but the photos show a wholly uninspired, homogenized shape overall. (Maybe I'll change my mind on that, maybe not.) It's not that it's distasteful or offensive or that VW shouldn't homogenize their products to some degree.... But it doesn't cause much to arise within me to say yeah or nay at all. I understand why it's that way; in order to help VW take over the known universe. But a new Jetta seemingly can't be spoken of without speaking of missing the old days when VW struck strikingly bold proportions into a few generations of the profiles of what is the most boring segment of the auto industry; the sedan.

[KevRC4130]

I didn't really like it at first, but it's growing on me already. I even found myself thinking about its design just as I was walking down the street. Definitely traces of the newest A4, but as someone else said, it really is just what a jetta should be.

[vwestlife]

(06-19-2010 09:49 AM)J_man Wrote:  So, IMHO the resurrection of a base model 8-valve would not be a completely bad omen if it happens, particularly for reliability-and-cost-of-ownership's sake (even if those who choose automatics will indeed suffer for it).

Has it ever been officially stated that the base 2.0L engine will be 8-valve? I heard somewhere (probably on the 'Tex) that it's actually a 16-valve engine currently in production in China. If that's the case, then the lack of any HP increase over the previous 8-valve 2.0L could be due to both increased emissions controls (especially PZEV) and an emphasis more towards fuel economy.

Also I remember that the stated reason why the 1.8T and 8-valve 2.0L were both dropped from VWoA's lineup a few years ago was that they would no longer meet California emissions standards. So it would be strange for VW bring it back now with improved emissions controls, if they could've just done that in the first place and kept it all along (marketplace demands for increased performance notwithstanding!).

p.s. And shouldn't it be written "MkVI", not "MKVI"? "MK" in all-caps implies "emm-kay", while "Mk" implies "mark".