2013 Jetta Hybrid debuts: Will its 45 mpg kill the TDI?

VW revealed the 2013 Jetta Hybrid. Combined EPA of 45mpg. It has an electric-only mode. HP is 150 with 184 lb/ft torque. Will this signal the end of TDIs?

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2013-volkswagen-jetta-hybrid-photos-and-info-news

I saw the battery pack size and immediately figured this would be an issue.

"Additionally, the driver can select an electric-only E-mode via a button next to the shift lever; this forced gas-free propulsion is limited to 1.2 miles and a maximum of 44 mph."

Whats the point of "E-mode"?

What is the electric motor even used for if it can only propel for 1.2 miles? start and stop only?

BrentRN said:

HP is 150 with 184 lb/ft torque. Will

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Corrected you there

Whether it kills the TDI will depend on many things. The most important will be the price differential.

-Will the hybrid option be vastly more expensive than a TDI?
-For those who are dead set on buying a hybrid, will it beat out the Camary? Even still, these consumers wouldnt buy a TDI anyway.

I think the TDI is safe for the time being. If VWOA handles their new hybrid technology the way they have handled the most prominent TDI CR issues, we can likely say goobye to both

We had the Prius on our short list of cars when we bought our TDI. There was no question which was the better car for us.

Would a VW Hybrid be more along the lines of what we were looking for in a car? I don't know.

Maybe when we finally get a TDI/Hybrid.

Why not just stick a smaller TDI into the Jetta if they're looking for fuel efficiency? VW got 45mpg out of the 1.9 engine back in the 90s for god's sake. Now the 1.6 CR has comparable performance and fuel economy; WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT? It's good enough for the Autobahn but it's not good enough for out highways?

This is to address a significant segment of the market in the USA who, for whatever reason, won't buy something with a diesel engine and/or think that a "hybrid" is a car that emits only flowers and sunshine from the tailpipe.

GoFaster said:

This is to address a significant segment of the market in the USA who, for whatever reason, won't buy something with a diesel engine and/or think that a "hybrid" is a car that emits only flowers and sunshine from the tailpipe.

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I am holding out for Rainbow Sherbet.

In all fairness, it also takes advantage of the significant price spread between diesel and RUG. If the average gas and go driver can get the same milage on fuel that costs $.50 less, they will likely go for the hybrid.

The sunshine, puppies and rainbow sherbert are an added benefit

If you can double the HP on that Hybrid with bolt on upgrades, I'll buy one too

It has LED/HID headlights and LED Tails!!! It also has a 1.4l TSI engine, and 7-Speed DSG... It is cool to see a turbocharged hybrid.

It's regenerative braking system is put to better use because the transmission is decoupled immediately after you let off the gas pedal, so all breaking is done by the regenerative system. I wounder how long it would take for that system to break!

VW techs have enough problems with our TDIs, I wounder how many different ways they would find to screw up the hybrid!

Im interested to see what the price of this will be, as well as their real world MPG numbers. I wounder if it will do better then my TDI, since I drive more in the city then I do hwy, and often hit traffic....

It is too bad VW hasn't given us the HID's, 7-speed DSG, and a smaller displacement TDI engine...


http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120109/DETROIT/120109904

JFettig said:

"Additionally, the driver can select an electric-only E-mode via a button next to the shift lever; this forced gas-free propulsion is limited to 1.2 miles and a maximum of 44 mph."

Whats the point of "E-mode"?

What is the electric motor even used for if it can only propel for 1.2 miles? start and stop only?

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It gets you off the freeway when the HPFP fails....

aja8888 said:

it gets you off the freeway when the hpfp fails....

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LOL now that's funny!

Now why wouldn't they just pony up and make a diesel hybrid? I know some will say "Because they needed a small engine to fit the extra parts". Well we are talking about Germans here. The same people that invented a method to reduce hail formation in clouds as opposed to building a covering for their MB cars in storage.

If we get a diesel hybrid, we get puppies holding rainbow sherbert cups from the tail pipe. What is not to like with that scenario?

The only thing I'm jealous of are the LED bits.

I'd like those LED bits.


They can keep the rest of it.

What GoFaster said: gasoline powered hybrids are a big market, much bigger currently than diesels. And I have to admit this car looks pretty cool, and includes a lot of stuff I know diesel buyers would have liked to get like HID headlights, LED tails, and better sound insulation. And to keep me happy, 15" wheels.

Honestly, that 1.4L turbo in a Golf with no hybrid wouldn't be a bad setup, either.

Here's a VW ad for the Jetta Hybrid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-aZoUv7A6Y

BrentRN said:

Here's a VW ad for the Jetta Hybrid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-aZoUv7A6Y

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Kick that old blue Chevy P/U.....(I'll take one...truck, I mean)

Man...even the hybrid is going to have a full cluster and MFD....Us TDI'ers really got screwed.... At least they won't have a Tachometer!

I actually like the idea of the instant power gauge. Having a tach too would be nice.
Walter

In all fairness, the turbo 1.4 is supposed to be a pretty good engine. There's a version of it with cylinder shutdown ... wonder if that's the one used here. This car is likely to be the first economical hybrid that's decent to drive (the Honda Insight promised this, but didn't deliver).

The power output gauge instead of the tach is a bit wacky, but I suppose it gets the point across.

For those wanting the 1.4 TSI engine without the hybrid system ... there's something else coming in another year or so that will come close - the new EA888 1.8 TSI engine which will probably be the new base engine. It's quite possible that this new engine will come very close to matching the efficiency of the emissions-compliant diesels.

Know what ... I'm totally good with that. I'm in favor of "whatever works". If the base engine approaches diesel efficiency without being a diesel ... it's good for the mass market.

Jetta hybrid will cost the same as Passat SE TDI 6MT. I'll take a Passat.

JFettig said:

I saw the battery pack size and immediately figured this would be an issue.

"Additionally, the driver can select an electric-only E-mode via a button next to the shift lever; this forced gas-free propulsion is limited to 1.2 miles and a maximum of 44 mph."

Whats the point of "E-mode"?

What is the electric motor even used for if it can only propel for 1.2 miles? start and stop only?

Click to expand...

1.2mile will get me to the store and back without starting the engine. I think thats a cool future.

BrentRN said:

Here's a VW ad for the Jetta Hybrid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-aZoUv7A6Y

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Are you sure thats not an ad for broke back mountain movie?

so this statement is now old?

GoFaster said:

This is to address a significant segment of the market in the USA who, for whatever reason, won't buy something with a diesel engine and/or think that a "hybrid" is a car that emits only flowers and sunshine from the tailpipe.

Click to expand...

aja8888 said:

It gets you off the freeway when the HPFP fails....

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You guys crack me up!

mo_focus said:

Are you sure thats not an ad for broke back mountain movie?

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"Oh HPFP, don't you quit on me."

The best news from that car: Xenon headlights for the Jetta have landed!

IndigoBlueWagon said:

What GoFaster said: gasoline powered hybrids are a big market, much bigger currently than diesels....................

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Bigger then diesel, but not a particularly big market. Fuel is staying low = little reason to buy. Ford will make two hybrid versions of the Fusion in 2013, neither in large qauntities as they don't sell all that well (too expensive). They are also dropping the Escape hybrid as it doesn't sell either.

Current fuel prices make a hybrid a niche market, they have one for advertising.

45? In a Jetta? That's it? Not good enough with regular gasssers getting around 40 highway.

Also - my first thought - where are the batteries? A glove box trunk like most other sedans? Pass, not for me (i.e. Sonata hybrid has a 10 cu ft trunk versus 15 for the non-hybrid).

40 highway? In what?

And don't tell Toyota that hybrids are a niche.

I can see the VW dealers now "Sorry, but it won't run because you put the wrong fuel in your batteries".