30 billion in fines and costs for the fraud. But there are signs the German carmaker is repairing the damage with consumers. Volkswagen brand sales worldwide rose to a record 6.23 million cars in 2017, with demand in the United States growing for the first time since 2013, VW said late on Sunday. 鈥淪ome of our critics thought the diesel crisis would block our view. In the United States, VW brand sales rose 5.2 percent in 2017, even as U.S. 鈥淲e are really starting to see the efforts of our work reflected in our sales,鈥?Hinrich Woebcken, the new head of the Volkswagen brand in North America, said on Sunday at the Detroit auto show. Spurred by a perception that the authoritarian culture at VW had been a factor in the cheating, top management has also loosened the reins on the VW empire and decentralized power from its Wolfsburg, Germany headquarters. For example, German native Woebcken told reporters on the sidelines of the Los Angeles auto show in November that U.S.
SUV the company planned to launch in America would not work. The original name 鈥渟tarted with a T, and then it broke your tongue,鈥?Woebcken said. U.S. Volkswagen executives proposed a simpler name for the U.S. Atlas. Wolfsburg management went along. The Atlas, launched from VW鈥檚 Tennessee factory last year, accounted for nearly 8 percent of VW brand sales in the U.S. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unusual to give a regional name to a product,鈥?Woebcken said. VW brand CEO Herbert Diess agreed. 100 cheaper than the outgoing model even though it offers additional driver-assistance functions and LED lights as standard. VW Group CEO Matthias Mueller will stay away from the Detroit auto show next week to let the carmaker鈥檚 U.S. Jetta, which represented a third of the brand鈥檚 340,000 U.S. With a lowered roofline and a new 8-speed automatic transmission, the model is tailored to U.S. North American engineers than its predecessor, the sources said ahead of the launch. VW now hopes to reshape its image, in part by persuading environmentally conscious, younger consumers and regulators in its major markets that it is serious about electric vehicles (EVs). VW has been teasing U.S. 鈥淲e did not have a clue how to get it industrialized,鈥?Woebcken said. 鈥淣ow, we have, with the MEB platform. It鈥檚 decided. It鈥檚 industrialized.
Much of that went into the roomy back seat, yet the trunk remains a sizeable 14.1 cubic feet - all very practical. Yet once you press the conveniently located start button on the console, practicality seems to disappear as quickly as an email from your mom. Handling is superb. It鈥檚 light, fun, and precise. At just 2,970 pounds, the Jetta sits light on its 17-inch wheels and tires. Power is strong and comes on fast with the 1.4-liter turbocharged I4 under Jetta鈥檚 hood. This creates 147 horsepower, which certainly won鈥檛 out gun many vehicles, but the torque is rated at 184 pound-feet which gives Jetta an excellent power to weight ratio. Snappy acceleration, which would be even more fun with a manual gearbox, but that鈥檚 only available in the base S model. In the R-Line and other trims, the power runs through an 8-speed automatic that seems incredibly smooth and well mated with the turbo I4. That 8-speed aims to aid power but also save you gas.
This Jetta is rated at 30 mpg city and 40 mpg highway by the EPA. I got 33.4 mpg in about 60 percent city driving, while in a previous Jetta drive during warm weather I managed 38.2 mpg. The ride remains firm, but tamer than previous Jettas I鈥檝e tested. That longer wheelbase seems to calm it enough to be pleasant for most riders. It鈥檚 certainly sporty and well controlled, which also aids the sedan鈥檚 handling. Ironically VW went away from the newer multi-link rear suspension to a torsion beam version that actually seems better on our rough Midwest roads. However, back seat riders feel the bumps more than folks up front. The R-Line touts 17-inch wheels and tires as opposed to the standard 16-inchers on lower trim levels. Those tires coupled with VW鈥檚 fine four-wheel disc brakes also give Jetta excellent stopping power. Stability control is standard as is an electronic differential lock, plus an intelligent crash response system that calls for help if there is an accident.
