The Crank: Diesel-loving Canadians to get new 2011 Jetta TDI first

By John LeBlanc The next, new 2011 Volkswagen Jetta is going to be a big deal for the German automaker in North America. And it needs to be. Along with the new U.S.-made Passat-replacing-yet-to-be-named midsized sedan coming next year, the new Mexican-made Jetta is the first half of VW’s two-sedan attack to more than double its U.S. sales from last year to 450,000 cars. Working towards an on sale date of the last week of September, Volkswagen Canada is giving us more and more info on the new Jetta, previewed by the New Compact Coupe concept from last year’s Detroit auto show (above.) VW Canada’s Peter Viney confirmed with The Crank that to go head-to-head with the compact top-sellers like the existing Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Mazda3 and forthcoming Chevrolet Cruze and 2012 Ford Focus, the new Jetta is going to be bigger and offer more engine choice. Don’t worry diesel fans, one of those mills will be the popular Jetta TDI diesel (TDI sales represented over one-quarter of all Canadian VW sales last month.) And while the U.S. market won’t get the Jetta TDI right away, Canadians will. “This is a very important model to us. So we want to make sure Canadians get the TDI—along with the other new 2011 Jettas—right at launch,” said Viney. Hmm…more room, more engine choice and more upscale styling… Has VW done enough to get you out of your Corolla or Civic?

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