Soaring demand for Volkswagen’s clean diesel Jetta Sportwagen TDI has left VW dealerships unable to keep up with demand. Waiting lists for the $24,000 vehicle—with MPG ratings of 30 city / 42 highway—are as long as 45 days in some Southern California dealerships. “We’re almost selling them off the trucks,” said Tom Wegehaupt, Volkswagen PR specialist, in an interview with HybridCars.com. “As soon as they’re on dealer lots, they’re gone.”
Hybrid and electric cars stole the limelight at the opening of the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, running January 17 to 25. But don’t believe for a second that petroleum-powered cars are dead. German carmakers are continuing their push for clean diesel, another technology competing for green car buyers.
The brand-new VW Jetta TDI diesel took the Green Car of the Year award at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Jetta TDI won based on its high fuel efficiency numbers—41 mpg on the highway and 30 in the city—and its price point of $21,900.
As more clean diesel vehicles begin to hit the market, consumers should be aware that diesel car manufacturers are taking different technology paths. The two main paths mean different responsibilities for car owners, although the goal is the same: to reduce emissions.
By most accounts, clean diesel is beginning to make its run into the automotive mainstream in the United States. So, we decided to take the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI out for a test drive to judge for ourselves. “If any car is going to wake America up to the diesel movement, it’s this one,” Ben Davis, road test producer for PBS’s MotorWeek, told Hybridcars.com.
The new Jetta is outfitted with a 2.0-liter 50-state legal turbocharged direct injection diesel (TDI) that produces 140 horsepower and an explosive 235 pound-feet of torque. Moreover, Volkswagen claims a big fuel economy boost that could deliver a sporty wagon with highway mpg in the mid-40s.
