VW Jetta will have a 2013 hybrid car version. According to the sources Jetta hybrid will be powered by a 1.4 liter turbocharged gasoline engine to produce 150 horse power and 184 lbs-ft of torque from 1400rpm up to 3500rpm.
The electric motor can move the hybrid car up to 44 mph. The combined power rating is 170 hp, giving the Jetta hybrid car a time of 9 seconds to reach 66mph.
The battery uses the lithium-ion chemistry. It has a rating of 220-volt and can store 1.1 kWh in 60 individual cells with a combined energy capacity of 5 Ah. It’s integrated behind the rear seat and weighs less than 80 lb. Because it stores relatively little energy (compared to a plug-in hybrid, for example), the Jetta hybrid only has an electric range of 1.2 mile, and only when the battery is sufficiently charged.
Another highlight for the 2013 VW Jetta hybrid is the transmission. Most hybrids have continuously variable transmissions (CVTs), but the Jetta has a dual-clutch:
Power is taken to the front wheels via a seven-speed DSG® dual-clutch transmission that operates automatically and efficiently, as well as providing super-fast shifting. Downsizing was achieved here, too: at 163 lb, the DSG transmission weighs significantly less than a conventional automatic and is also much more compact in its construction. Thanks to its lightweight drive components, the weight of the Jetta Hybrid was only increased by 221 lb despite the addition of a battery system. The car weighs in at less than 3310 lb, which is low for a hybrid vehicle.
Fuel economy is estimated to be a respectable 45 MPG combined, which is pretty good compared to most cars, but still below Toyota’s 2010 Prius hybrid. I was expecting that by now, other automakers would have soundly beaten Toyota’s flagship hybrid car, but I suppose we’ll have to wait a bit longer…
All that VW said about pricing was that the Jetta hybrid would be “competitively priced with other compact hybrids” and that it would launch “in the North American market at the end of 2012”.
