Volkswagen recently announced that there will be no 2017 Jetta Hybrid. That’s a real shame. Unlike almost every other hybrid available in America, VW’s take on the hybrid-powered car is actually fun to drive.
When a manufacturer builds a hybrid, they make several important decision. Will car car skew toward fuel efficiency (read: slow and boring) or will the additional electric motor make the car faster more lively? It is the difference between the way the new Acura NSX uses its three electric motors and the way a Toyota Prius uses its hybrid powertrain.
With the Jetta Hybrid, VW steers a path that’s both fuel efficient and fun to drive. The 2016 Jetta Hybrid is rated at 42 mpg city and 48 mpg highway, but as you can see from this video review I produced a few years ago the car is also fun to drive. Unlike many other hybrids on the market, it is actually fast and likes to be driven hard. That’s normally a way of driving that a more conservative hybrid will disdain with all sorts of dire fuel economy warnings.
Perhaps the reason for the Jetta Hybrid’s driving prowess is the 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that’s mated to a seven-speed DCT. That’s a lot of expensive tech in a family sedan.
Unfortunately the Jetta Hybrid never met Volkswagen’s sales goal. Perhaps that’s because it is only available in the highest SEL trim, with an M.S.R.P. of $31,120.
But it is not too late to get yours. The 2016 Jetta Hybrid is still for sale at your local VW dealership. If it were my money and I was looking for a fun and very fuel efficient German sedan, that’s the one I would buy.
Why do you thing the VW Jetta hybrid never sold as well as VW had hoped? Start the conversation in the comments below.
