BMW details Concept X5 eDrive ahead of New York debut

Already weighing more than most other types of vehicles and with the space to accommodate the extra equipment, crossovers and SUVs arguably make for one of the more ideal platforms to transform into a hybrid. And there have been a handful of them – like the Audi Q5, Infiniti QX60/Nissan Pathfinder, Porsche Cayenne/Volkswagen Touareg, Lexus RX450h/Toyota Highlander and Cadillac Escalade/Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon – but by and large the majority of hybrids on the market are sedans and hatchbacks. BMW, however, looks poised to join the minority with the X5.

The Bavarian automaker showcased the X5 eDrive concept at Frankfurt last year, and as promised, has now revealed the followup it will present at the New York Auto Show in just a few days. The new Concept X5 eDrive, as BMW has now revealed, pairs a 2.0-liter turbo four good for 245 horsepower to a 95-hp electric motor to deliver a combined 340 horsepower. Its lithium-ion battery can power it for up to 20 miles and at speeds up to 75 miles per hour before the gasoline engine needs to kick in. All that without sacrificing the vehicle's utility, maintaining an almost perfectly flat loading floor with 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats, and without sacrificing much on performance, either: with a 0-62 time of seven seconds flat, the X5 eDrive concept is quicker off the line than the production X5 with the 2.5-liter turbodiesel and just a tenth off of the 3.0-liter turbodiesel.

With the full technical details now released (you can delve into it all in the press release below), the only question remains when BMW will actually put the X5 eDrive into production. Given its appearance in New York, though, we gather that whenever it does reach showrooms, it'll reach American ones as well.

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News Source: BMW

Volkswagen recalling some MY13-14 Jetta Hybrids worldwide due to gearbox fluids issue

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Jetta Hybrid vehicles manufactured October 2012 through October 2013 and equipped with a DQ-200 direct-shift gearbox. Due to an issue with gearbox fluid additives, the vehicle may lose motive power.

Over time, Volkswagen said in its notice to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the gearbox fluid additives may cause the internal gearbox lead frame to corrode.

If corrosion deposits collect between electrical wiring, an electrical short in the power supply may blow gearbox fuses and deactivate the gearbox hydraulic pump or mechatronic unit.

The driver will immediately be alerted by a flashing gear indicator warning lamp in the instrument cluster, and the vehicle will lose motive power, but can coast to a stop. All other vehicle systems, such as the engine, steering and brakes are unaffected and remain operational.

Volkswagen so far is not aware of any such failure in the US, but such failure have been reported in foreign markets. Volkswagen is recalling all affected vehicles worldwide to address the issue.

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the gearbox oil with a non-corrosive version, free of charge. Some 3,837 vehicles are affected in the US.

2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid Review - MPG analysis

The 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid is VW's second hybrid model, and the first hybrid sedan we've had in the U.S. market from the German automaker.

It's also interesting because the Jetta is available with a fuel-efficient TDI turbodiesel engine--and VW discovered thathybrid and diesel buyers are very different.

When we went to the launch event for the Jetta Hybrid, we walked away with mostly positive impressions of the new hybrid sedan.

But first impressions are just that, so how does the new hybrid powertrain act in daily life? We spent a week in the Jetta Hybrid and found out.

Supposedly 40 mpg or more

During the launch event we noted average an fuel economy of over 40 mpg--but noted that we would be reserving judgment until we could test the vehicle in real-world conditions.

The window sticker on our Jetta Hybrid tester shows EPA ratings of 45 mpgcombined (42 mpg city, 48 mpg highway).

During the course of a week, we drove 114 miles at an average speed of 20 mph. Disappointingly, our average fuel economy was 34.8 mpg. In fact, we never once saw an average number anywhere near 40 mpg.

If we were to break out our driving conditions, we'd estimate that about 50 miles of our driving was on the highway, and the remainder was around-town city driving.

But it's still winter

Some might wonder if temperature affected our mileage: Our test was in Portland, Oregon, which isn't exactly warm but hardly gets frigid during the winter.

During the week, we'd wake up to find temperatures in the high 30s to low 40s--and by the middle of the day, it would be nearly 50 degrees.

So while we expected we might not match the EPA ratings due to weather, we expected to be closer than we were.

2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid

Other quick driving impression notes

• The 7-speed DSG transmission is terrific in this hybrid setup, and doesn't drone at highways speeds or under hard acceleration as you would typically find in a CVT-like hybrid setup.
• The powertrain is smooth, and there isn't the typical lurching you might find in other hybrids.
• If you need power quickly, the turbo kicks instantly and you have the power you need.
• The interior is well laid out and very comfortable.
• The rear seat is huge with lots of space.
• The rear seats fold down even with a battery pack in the trunk.

While we were disappointed with the gas-mileage numbers we saw during our week with the Jetta Hybrid, we did enjoy the driving experience.

We look forward to testing the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid again when the weather is warmer, to see if we might see better fuel economy results.

Alt Energy Autos 2013 Best Car To Buy: Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid, Honorable Mention

Volkswagen has sold small numbers of its Touareg Hybrid crossover utility vehicle for two years now, but it's never had a mass-market hybrid entry.

That will be the role of the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid, a new entry this year that complements VW's long-established line of fuel-efficient TDI diesel Jetta and Golf models.

The new hybrid uses a small, 150-horsepower, 1.4-liter turbocharged engine, with a single 20-kilowatt (27-hp) electric motor between the engine and a modified version of VW's excellent seven-speed direct-shift automatic gearbox.

The total combined output of the gasoline-electric powertrain is 170 hp.

For a first effort, Volkswagen has done a remarkably good job at making the Jetta Hybrid fun to drive, smooth, and fuel-efficient.

It's rated at a combined 45 mpg (42 mpg city, 48 mpg highway) and our 2013 Jetta Hybrid first road testindicates that it should get relatively close to that number in real-world use.

As the first European maker to offer a hybrid compactsedan, VW might have stumbled with lumpy control software, or opted for high-end performance like other German makers.

Instead, it's produced the most fuel-efficient model in the Jetta lineup, and added a car that will appeal to hybrid buyers who simply won’t consider its TDI diesels.

The Jetta Hybrid is an important car because VW knows that in the U.S., many buyers prefer hybrids to diesels.

2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid

Each type of car has its merits: Diesels are highly efficient at highway speeds, often doing better than their EPA ratings, while hybrids are efficient in the city as well, where they can run short distances on electric power alone.

But some U.S. buyers just won't consider diesels, no matter how hard Volkswagen tries to sell them.

So the company is developing a full line of hybrid powertrains as well, which will be used not only in VW vehicles but also in Audis and Porsches as well.

Importantly, the Jetta Hybrid retains the essential nature of the gasoline Jetta.

It's designed in a sensible, no-nonsense, German way, the handling and roadholding are relatively sporty, and it's a virtual BMW compared to something like the fuel-efficiency champion Toyota Prius.

Yet its combined gas mileage rating is just 10 percent lower than the Prius's, a neat trick to pull off.

2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Oct 2012

We suspect that once green-car buyers find out that VW offers the Jetta Hybrid, the model will do well.

While it's the most expensive car in the Jetta lineup, it's still base-priced at just under $25,000, meaning it's affordable as well as fun to drive.

And plenty of Volkswagen buyers who wouldn't be caught dead in a Prius may just give the Jetta Hybrid a spin--and decide that gas mileage fully 50 percent better than a comparable gasoline Jetta is worth a few thousand extra dollars.

And VW has done it without compromising the qualities that make the Jetta desirable in the first place.

For that, we give the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid the Honorable Mention trophy in our Best Car To Buy competition for 2013.

Watch for the announcement of the car that has won the Green Car Reports 2013 Best Car To Buy, coming on Monday.

Source: Green Car Reports

2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid: First Drive

The 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid gives VW something it hasn’t had before: a way to appeal tohybrid buyers who won’t consider its TDI diesels—no matter how fuel-efficient they may be.

The result is a relatively sporty, conventional looking compact sedan that’s fun to drive, comfortable to ride in, and appears to return 40 mpg or more in mixed usage.

40 mpg or more

On two different legs of our road test around Santa Fe, New Mexico, our Jetta Hybrid test cars returned 45.2 mpg and 41.7 mpg over hilly routes of 71 and 150 miles.

One note on those gas mileage numbers: We’re reserving some judgment until we have a chance to test the car on our usual test cycle.

Volkswagen projects that the 2013 Jetta Hybrid will be EPA-rated at about 45 mpg in combined city-highway use.

The Santa Fe test routes had several sharp climbs to higher altitudes, followed by a large number of gradual downhill roads. On those roads, the Jetta Hybrid could glide solely on electric power with the engine switched off—as high as 60 mph—which used no fuel over those stretches.

Small engine, single motor

To launch its first mass-market hybrid model, Volkswagen put a new powertrain into its three-year-old Jetta sedan.

The hybrid Jetta uses a 150-horsepower turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder, one that hasn't been offered in any VW sold here until now.

It’s paired to a single 20-kilowatt (27-hp) electric motor, with a clutch on either end, and Volkswagen’s 7-speed direct-shift gearbox automated manual transmission. Output of the combined gasoline-electric powertrain is 170 hp.

2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Oct 2012

While the 20-kW electric motor is smaller than the 33-kW traction motor in the Toyota Prius hybrid, it nonetheless puts out 114 lb-ft of torque by itself.

That’s enough to accelerate the car away from a stop with a light foot on the accelerator, up to speeds as high as 37 mph.

Easy all-electric range

But Volkswagen has done its homework in figuring out what many hybrid buyers actually want: all-electric range.

2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid

The car’s stated electric range is up to 1.2 miles under ideal circumstances, but VW lets drivers opt for all-electric power by pushing the “E-Mode” button on the console.

That locks the gasoline engine out altogether, though it compromises acceleration, and raises the all-electric top speed of the hybrid Jetta.

As long as the car stays below 44 mph, driving in E-Mode keeps the car running only electrically until the 1.1-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack is depleted.

VW engineers stressed that E-Mode is not the most energy-efficient way to cover miles, overall. At times, using the engine to move the car and recharge the battery conserves more energy.

But most hybrid drivers like all-electric travel, and VW has given them the ability to call it up as often as they want below 44 mph, within the limits of the battery.

Sporty roadholding

On-the-road performance is sporty, with acceleration that's both quicker and more linear than a Toyota Prius. Volkswagen quotes a 0-to-60-mph time of 8.6 seconds.

But it's the roadholding and handling that set the Jetta Hybrid apart from the rest of the hybrid pack.

2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid

VW has managed to imbue the electric power steering with enough feedback and feel that most drivers won't be aware the wheel isn't responding directly to the road surface.

And the hybrid Jetta doesn't feel notably heavier than the gasoline model, with a weight difference of just 229 lbs from the 2.5-liter automatic version of the gasoline car.

And with the standard 15-inch wheels and tires, the car both holds the road and rides comfortably.

The optional 17-inch alloy wheels and lower-profile tires, sadly, exact a significant penalty on ride comfort. They transit surface imperfections into the cabin, not to mention considerably more road noise.

We'd ignore the larger wheels, as great as they look, if we were ordering a Jetta Hybrid ourselves.

No hybrid feel

Best of all, the Jetta Hybrid doesn't "drive like a hybrid," which is to say with sluggish performance and an engine that howls under protest when pushed.

2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid

The use of a conventional 7-speed DSG transmission gives it a more conventional engine note, with shifts occurring even in E-Mode--an unusual thing for a car being driven on electricity.

But VW has done a stellar job at blending the two power sources together seamlessly. We experienced almost none of the lurching and nonlinearity of some other hybrids, despite a high rate of switching the electric motor in and out. 

In particular, the Jetta Hybrid is significantly smoother and less obviously a meshing of two power sources than the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, also a single-motor, twin-clutch design.

While power delivery is smooth and seamless, we weren't as thrilled with the brakes, which weren't very progressive and tended to slow the car aggressively with just a little pedal application. VW could do with another round of refinement to the pedal feel.

2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid

From tach to power meter

You'll have to look closely to distinguish the 2013 Jetta Hybrid from any other Jetta sedan model.

Exterior modifications are limited to a blanked-off grille, slightly different front and rear bumper shields, a tiny lip spoiler on the trunk lid, and some lower-body aero panels.

Inside, the cabin is pretty much standard VW Jetta. The front seats are comfortable, with bolstering in the right places.

On the models we drove, the seats were upholstered in a tasteful grey-and-black two-tone that lightened the cabin and extended to the door panels as well.

The instrument panel, befitting a car for which the phrase "German engineering" gets used half a dozen times, is sensible, straightforward, and no-nonsense.

The tachometer has been replaced by a power meter, with simple graphics that show when the car is operating up to the limits of its electric power, when it's recharging, and when it's coasting.

Reduced trunk volume

Rear seats were comfortable too, and trunk space was less compromised by the air-cooled 1.1-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack than might be expected.

The carpeted battery sits across the trunk at the base of the rear seat-back, but the split rear seats still fold down, retaining the ability to pass through skis or other long objects.

Trunk space in the hybrid Jetta  11.3 cubic feet, down 27 percent from the 15.5 cubic feet of the standard Jetta.

Due to the greater fuel efficiency, VW has reduced the size of the gasoline tank to 12 gallons from the gasoline version's 14.5-gallon capacity. It should still give a range of 500 miles or so.

We were disappointed to note that the 2013 VW Jetta Hybrid is recommended to run only on Premium fuel, though to be fair, that's common with many turbos even today.

A few oddities

We did notice some oddities on the hybrid Jetta, indicating its age (it will likely be replaced with an all-new model for the 2015 model year, based on the upcoming new 2014 Volkswagen Golf).

The adjusting lever for the power mirrors is located on the driver's door at an odd angle that requires crooking the wrist to use it. We've never seen a mirror adjustment quite like this one.

The upper trim levels of the Jetta Hybrid with the keyless entry and Start button have that button located on the console, with a crude plastic blanking plate pasted over the steering-column hole where ignition keys insert in lesser models.

And as far as we could tell in our pre-production models, no version of the Jetta Hybrid offers a USB outlet, which seems almost willful these days in a car aimed at early adopters. There's only an audio-in, a 12-Volt power outlet and on top trims, an iPod connector.

2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid

Four trim levels

Most hybrid offerings except the Toyota Prius tend to come in only one or two trim levels, with a limited suite of optional equipment available. Mostly, they're at the top end of the range.

But Volkswagen offers the hybrid Jetta in no fewer than four trim levels, from base to SEL Premium.

All 2013 VW Jetta Hybrids come with 15-inch aluminum alloy wheels, a leather-trimmed steering wheel with multifunction sitches, Bluetooth device pairing, and automatic climate control.

Then, depending on trim level, you can add premium featured that include a Fender audio system, a navigation system, 16- or 17-inch alloy wheels, Bi-Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, a power driver's seat, a rearview camera, and keyless entry.

Prices for the hybrid Jetta start at $24,995 for the base model, rise to $26,990 for the SE trim level, and then top out at $29,325 for the SEL model--or $31,180 for the SEL Premium model.

2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid

January decision

We think Volkswagen's done a very creditable job with its first mass-market hybrid car, in the volume leader Jetta compact sedan.

It's fun to drive, avoids most of the stereotypical hybrid annoyances, and seems on first glance to deliver a real-world 40 mpg or more, perhaps close to its projected 45-mpg combined rating.

The 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid will arrive at VW dealers at the very end of the year, which in reality may mean the first week or two of January.

And that's when existing Jetta TDI diesel buyers and what Volkswagen hopes are new Jetta Hybrid buyers will be confronted with the question: Which one to buy?

If VW is right, each group will head straight for the one it wants--and everyone will drive out in the Jetta they're happiest with.

Source: Green Car Reports