Can the hybrid version appeal where TDI has not?
Can hybrid technology lift VW’s US sales?
Back in college an old girlfriend drove a Volkswagen Jetta. I loved it, although I was glad I had the privilege of just driving it, not owning it. That Jetta seemed to need more servicing than normal, and it was always expensive. Still, it was fun to drive. Then again, when you don’t own a car, any car seems fun to drive.
And that driving experience has made VW one of the biggest selling automakers in the world, despite an inability to truly resonate in the US. However, can the Jetta hybrid succeed where other VWs, especially the TDI’s, have failed?
While enthusiasts typically love VW’s TDI technology, the German automaker has been unable to convince mainstream Americans of the virtues of its turbo-charged, highly efficient, clean diesel technology. Maybe it was the crappy commercials, I don’t know, but we don’t Spreken Sie das auto here in the States.
Regardless, VW is going to add a hybrid version to the Jetta later this year, but will it fare any better than the TDI?
I haven’t yet tested the Jetta hybrid, but it’s focus on a combination of fuel economy and turbo-charged power, I find intriguing. VW expects the Jetta hybrid to hit about 45 mpg combined, while offering up a hybrid-shocking 177 hp. Hence, the Jetta TDI will be a sporty hybrid, in the truest sense of the phrase. Yes, that does seem a bit of an oxymoron, but at 45 mpg, it’s OK to have your cake and eat it too.
Even better, according to an early MotorTrend driving review, the new Jetta hybrid sounds like a winner.
Except for one thing.
Unfortunately, VW is only expecting about 5 percent of Jetta buyers to take the hybrid option, even though MotorTrend seems to suggest this is the best Jetta, except for the TDI — they are enthusiasts over at MT!
5 percent? In terms of US Jetta sales, that ain’t squat. In fact, what’s the point? PR? The halo effect? Coax ‘em in with the lure of efficient TDIs and hybrids and let them leave in a watered down, but cheaper, gasoline version?
I guess when top execs from the VW family publicly ridicule hybrid cars and plug-ins, regularly — even hatefully — one shouldn’t expect too much.
While it seems the new Jetta hybrid will be an exciting, new entrant into the hybrid segment, VW’s sale’s expectations suggest a high hybrid price with little chance for US success.
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