Known internally as the New Compact Coupe, just like the hybrid concept presented by VW at the 2010 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit earlier this year, the new Jetta will be longer and wider than the current model.
Unfortunately for those expecting a more exquisite model, rumor is cost cutting measures will push the Jetta below the current generation model in terms of design and comfort. Yet, making it cheaper will place in right up Corolla and Civic buyers' alley, with the German carmaker hoping to snatch just enough people from its competitors to sell some 160,000 Jettas each year. In the US, that is, because the outlook in Europe still remains bleak.
There's not much word on what the Jetta will pack under the hood, but no big surprises are expected. The hybrid powertrain used on the New Compact Coupe is unlikely to make it into production soon, at least not in the first batch of Jettas to exit the assembly lines.
The Jetta will enter production later this year at Volkswagen's Puebla plant in Mexico. The new model will reach European shores later than it reaches the US, with the carmaker considering using a different nameplate for it here.
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