What鈥檚 Hot And What鈥檚 Not In The 2019 Volkswagen Lineup
Despite ending in headlines for all the wrong reasons a few years ago, Volkswagen鈥檚 global sales haven鈥檛 been affected. In fact, they鈥檝e actually grown. The dieselgate scandal shook the very foundations of the auto industry and brought to light a number of similar cases - one of which saw Mitsubishi鈥檚 fortunes decline due to faked data that was supposed to help them meet specifications. The result of that saw the Japanese brand鈥檚 stocks plummet and the division itself subsequently got absorbed by the Nissan-Renault alliance. But we鈥檝e digressed - we鈥檙e here to dissect the 2019 Volkswagen lineup. Speaking of Volkswagen鈥檚 future in the U.S., the Germans have finally delivered the long-awaited and dedicated three-row Atlas SUV to the people. Furthermore, they鈥檝e completely redesigned the compact Jetta sedan and announced the introduction of the sporty executive Arteon fastback. Coupled with their standard offerings ranging from the iconic Beetle and the versatile Golf lineup, over the mid-size Passat sedan, to the already-established Tiguan crossover, Volkswagen USA offers a wide range of products fit for most U.S.
鈥?tastes. Let鈥檚 take a look at what the upcoming Volkswagen models form MY 2019 have to offer. In short, the all-new 2019 Volkswagen Jetta is as conservative as it always was, but there鈥檚 definitely more to it than meets the eye. First introduced back in 1979 with a special emphasis on the U.S. Jetta has gone on and made it to the seventh generation for MY 2019. The fully-redesigned Volkswagen Jetta may resemble its predecessor, but it鈥檚 slightly larger than the 2018-year model. Its wheelbase has been stretched by almost 1.5 inches, which has naturally translated to more legroom for rear passengers. The new Jetta also rides on a new MQB platform that鈥檚 been underpinning the remainder of the Volkswagen family for quite some time now. All in all, the next-gen VW Jetta is a truly modern compact sedan with an upgraded interior which offers a good value for money. 18,500 don鈥檛 have that much to offer.
27,000 SEL Premium which both come with a 10.3-inch reconfigurable instrument cluster and a Beats audio system. For the time being, every new Volkswagen Jetta (including the top SEL Premium models) will be exclusively available with the 147-horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque 1.4L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and either an 8-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual transmission. This powertrain is enough to ensure the new Jetta can at least travel at a healthy pace, but it鈥檒l never be considered fast. This will be the job for the Volkswagen Jetta GLI which should arrive in time for MY 2020. Meanwhile, one of the biggest upsides the smallish turbo four has to provide is its fuel economy. The 2019 VW Jetta is rated at up to 30 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway which is an increase of as much as 7 mpg in a single category over the outgoing model. Unlike before, the next-gen Jetta now boasts a number of categories in which it easily outclasses its rivals.
While still not as exciting as the Golf, the new Jetta takes one huge step in the right direction. Although available overseas since 2017 as a more upscale successor to the Volkswagen CC, the Arteon fastback hadn鈥檛 made it stateside until now. The new Volkswagen Arteon will finally be offered in the U.S. MY 2019, and it should occupy the flagship car spot within the Volkswagen lineup. After all, the Arteon was built with entry-level luxury in mind. The four-door fastback will be available in three trim levels - SE, SEL, and SEL Premium. The entry-level will offer forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alerts from the get-go. Moreover, every Arteon will also come with an 8-inch touchscreen display and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The upper echelon models will only build upon an already generous package with a power liftgate, available 19-inch wheels, adaptive cruise control and lane-departure warning. 35,000 is probably wishful thinking as things stand.
