Volkswagen Jetta TDI
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FUEL ECONOMY:
n/a MPG n/a L/100km
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BODY TYPE:
Sedan
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TECHNOLOGY:
Diesel
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BASE MSRP:
n/a
Starting in the Spring of 2008, the ever-popular and sporty Volkswagen Jetta will be available with a diesel - a 2.0-liter engine that rates at 140 horsepower and 235 lb-ft of torque. The new clean burning engine's fuel injection system ensures that the diesel fuel combusts completely, maximizing power and minimizing soot, smoke, and the well-known rattle of traditional diesel powerplants.
To boot, the Clean Diesel is 50-state legal, meeting the ultra-strict BIN5 ULEV2 standards. It uses a selective catalytic reduction system, and unlike Bluetec, no urea injection is utilized. And regardless of the upshot in horsepower, the new engine produces a staggering 60 percent fewer emissions than the old 1.9-liter gas-powered engine.
Housed close to the engine is an oxidation catalyst - to limit carbon monoxide - and a particulate trap - to reduce smoke. The entire after-treatment system throughout the exhaust is designed to filter out a majority of diesel-related particulates.
VW says the Jetta will get over 50 miles per gallon on the highway (40 mpg around town), and can go over 600 miles between fill-ups. Add to that, launches that are race caliber and acceleration that rivals even some of the fancier import tuners. The Jetta Clean Diesel achieves this performance level with the help of its fast-throw 6-speed manual transmission.
Prices will start in the low $20,000s, about $2,000 more than a traditional Jetta. And in terms of price, there is another advantage to diesels. Their resale value can be as much as three or four times that of a traditional gasoline-powered car. VW spokesman Keith Price, for example, says a 1998 Jetta TDI (diesel) with 175,000 miles is worth $7,500 today. The same car, with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine "is a $2,000 'beater' you'd buy for your teenager."