On the heels of its L1 and Up! Lite concepts—which debuted at the recent Frankfurt and Los Angeles auto shows, respectively—Volkswagen is introducing another concept at the Detroit auto show that moves a small hybrid from the German brand closer to reality.
More important, however, is that the latest show car previews the look of the next-generation Jetta, set to begin production later this year.
Called the New Compact Coupe, or NCC, the concept follows the developmental naming convention of the upcoming Jetta and Passat replacements, the NCS and NMS—for New Compact Sedan and New Midsize Sedan. Indeed, it sits on a platform sized within an inch or two of the current Jetta’s in every dimension, at 178.5 inches long, 70.1 inches wide, and 55.6 inches tall, with a wheelbase of 104.4 inches. The NCC seats four and boasts 13 cubic feet of trunk space.
Not Such a Radical Appearance
Even as modern concept cars go, this is a tame one, looking like perhaps the “Concept” portion of its name is a mistake. That’s because this is a remarkably faithful preview of the upcoming Jetta sedan. Just shorten the two existing doors a smidge and squeeze in a rear door behind each, and we say you’re looking at the next VW sedan. (Our most recent 2011 Jetta spy photos say the same thing.) We’re not sure Vee Dub will make a two-door Jetta, but the execution on this concept and the lack of traditional two-doors in the VW lineup has us wondering if we won’t see a coupe paired with the 2011 sedan. We’ll call its chances of production solid. And if we’re wrong? Eh, chalk it up to wishful thinking.
A few cues, such as the soft angle on the rear window and the curvature of the decklid, show that Volkswagen is looking to work some of the design cues from its handsome—but pricey—CC into the more pedestrian models in its lineup. The same could be said of the 19-inch “Lougano” wheels, probably named for Olympic diver Greg Louganis and meant to evoke the nimble footwork of the dog-agility competitions he’s been involved in since stepping down from the diving board. Or maybe not. But the twisted-spoke look is one that worked very well on the CC, as it does here and probably would anywhere except a Mercedes G-wagen. CC cues carry over to the inside of the show car, as well, in the ribbed, bolstered seats and two-row console.
Radicalism Found Underhood
This four-seater is motivated by a mild-hybrid powertrain that sandwiches a 27-hp electric motor between a 148-hp, 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four and a seven-speed, dual-clutch automated manual DSG transmission. VW says the NCC “can go 141 mph if necessary”—when is 141 mph not necessary?—and “accelerates to 60 mph in 8.1 seconds,” apparently regardless of necessity.
A 1.1-kWh lithium-ion battery mounted in the rear of the car powers the electric motor and draws a charge through regenerative braking, while an automatic engine stop/start system helps the NCC to a claimed 45 mpg in the European combined fuel-economy cycle. We’d figure 30 to 35 mpg on the U.S. cycle.
Volkswagen will introduce a hybrid Touareg later this year, and regardless of whether it powers something with two doors or four, expect to see this powertrain in a production Volkswagen soon. And, as for that sheetmetal, there’s no doubt that the next Jetta is gonna be a looker.
source: caranddriver
