Read the full story »The current Volkswagen Jetta first made its appearance a little over two years ago with diesel and petrol variants. Designed for the American buyer, who might consider a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla, the Jetta has been very competitive in its market segment.
Volkswagen is the leader in the diesel passenger car market in the United States and offers compression-ignition variants in not only the Jetta but also the Passat, Golf, Jetta SportWagen, Beetle, and Touareg lines, and a diesel-powered Beetle Convertible will soon be offered. Indeed, one out of every five Volkswagens sold is a diesel.
So why offer a hybrid? , …
Yep. They'll be here soon!TDI Beetle convertible??
I too found it odd that VW isn't offering start/stop but I found VW's comment (as mentioned in the article) that the U.S. isn't ready puzzling. It's on almost every car here in Germany I can think of and I'm sure the folks in the U.S. are equally capable.What's with the comment that the US is not ready for start/stop technology? Isn't that available in a lot of cars on market today?
Wow, if this statement is true, it is an incredibly retarded, insulting and cynical attitude on the part of VW of American buyers. When they first came out, ABS, ESP and traction control were also considered features ahead of drivers' acceptance of them, so there were switches to turn them off. VW could just do a start/stop switch (like my rental BMW X1 2.0d two weeks ago had) and leave it off by default at delivery and let us drivers decide whether we're "ready" for it or not. Geez, start/stop is one of the main reasons why hybrids get such good urban fuel economy.One thing that is missing is auto stop/start, which turns the engine off (and on) when the vehicle is stopped. Volkswagen’s explanation is that American buyers aren’t ready for the feature, although it is becoming far more commonplace these days.
Have you driven a Prius or BMW Hybrid? If you had you would know how annoying this feature is especially on the BMW which makes a thump every time. Not ready for prime time in my opinion. I definitely would not want this feature. MPG goes up about 1mpg in most cases at best.My question about start/stop on a non-hybrid vehicle: Can this function be switched off?
From the Chronicle Herald:More coverage:
WPost.com: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid: First Drive
TheChronicleHerald.ca: First Drive: The 2013 VW Jetta Hybrid
Edmunds.com: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid First Drive
CORRECTION
An earlier version of this article included a sentence that stated that auto stop/start, a feature which turns the engine off (and on), when the vehicle is stopped, was missing, and that Volkswagen stated that American buyers were not ready for this feature. While a Volkswagen spokesperson did provide us with this information, a follow-up enquiry by The Diesel Driver resulted in a clarification from Volkswagen that the feature is indeed included and that the statement by the spokesperson had been in error.
Why VW hasn't done a diesel hybrid... yet
The primary consideration is cost -- not just to Volkswagen, but to the consumer. VW will be charging a premium of about $2,500 for the diesel and $4,500 for the new hybrid -- that's compared to a similarly-equipped Jetta 2.5, by the way, and not the cheapie base model. Regardless of the actual costs, VW would obviously have to charge more for both technologies, less they devalue either one. So now we're talking about a $27,000 Jetta with cloth seats. Even for devoted Volkswagen buyers, that would be a hard sell.
I agree. No interest in the Jetta sedan, but a hybrid sportswagen maybe.I'd consider it. It would be ideal for my 5 mile commute, and allow me to use my diesels more appropriately for longer drives. If they put this drivetrain in a Sportwagen I'd be all over it.
The article does not mention the Hybrid-Diesel used in buses. but it is not full hybrids from my understanding.