Volkswagen - 2009 New Car and Truck Line-Up
Volkswagen has introduced three new vehicles to the US market in 2009. The most interesting one is the new compact crossover, the VW Tiguan. In addition, one of VW's long running models, Jetta will get a new model and the return of a diesel engine to its line up. With the model year change, VW has not taken its eye off of reliability or safety. Volkswagen still has some room for improvement before they are considered to be at Toyota's or Honda's level of reliability. However, they have made significant improvements as a brand with the 2009 models.
Let us start with the new models. The Tiguan is a new product for the US market for Volkswagen in 2009. It is a compact crossover SUV that is based on the European A5 platform. The vehicle has been in production in Germany since 2007 and is now available in the US. The vehicle has a 200 horsepower turbocharged engine.
The VW CC is also new for 2009. It is a four-door coupe based on the Passat. The car has a 200 horsepower 2.0 liter engine as standard. Customers can also get a 280 horsepower 3.6 liter V6 which also has optional all-wheel-drive. The CC stands for Comfort Coupe, in case you were wondering.
In addition, VW has introduced the Routan for 2009. It is a new minivan that is a shares the same platform as the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country. The Routan has a differently tuned suspension than Chrysler though to meet VW's unique brand requirements.
Finally, one of VW's staple models, the Jetta, has a new derivative and a new engine for 2009. The new model is called the SportWagen. And making a return to the US market for 2009 is the diesel Jetta. This time the engine is a 140 horsepower 2.0 liter engine.
As typical of Volkswagen, the 2009 models are good at delivering the performance, comfort, and safety attributes that the brand is known for. For example, the 2009 four door GTI has received four stars for front impact protection and five stars for side impact protection by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in recent tests. In addition, the VW Rabbit was selected as a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the 2009 model tests.
However, in terms of reliability, the test scores of Volkswagen models have not been brilliant in recent years. This trend is beginning to change. In a recent study on reliability by Consumer Reports, many of the 2009 VW models achieved average or better ratings for predicted reliability. There is still room for improvement though. The Passat sedan, Touareg SUV, and Eos convertible did not score that well in the Consumer Reports test.
In summary, Volkswagen has introduced three new vehicles to the US market in 2009 - Tiguan, CC, and Routan. With the model year change, VW has not taken its eye off of reliability or safety. Volkswagen still has some room to improvement in terms of reliability. However, they have made significant steps forward as a brand with the 2009 models.
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