VW to launch bigger, less expensive Jetta

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Volkswagen of America will unveil its new bigger and less expensive Jetta on Tuesday in New York. The sedan will start at about $16,000, almost $2,000 less than the current vehicle.

The Jetta is VW’s volume car, accounting for more than half the automaker’s U.S. sales last year.

The new Jetta will be almost four inches longer than its predecessor, making it one of the biggest compact cars on the market. VW says it will have more legroom than any other vehicle in its class. It is positioned against the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and the Ford Focus.

The car will come with four engine choices in the U.S. and Canada, including a new 2.0-liter turbo-diesel direct injection (TDI) Clean Diesel. VW has not announced pricing for anything above the base model, which hits showrooms in October. The versions with larger engines will come later in the model year.

Although Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest automakers, the brand sold just 213,000 cars in the U.S., accounting for less than 2% of the market, according to Autodata Corp.

-- Jerry Hirsch

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