New VW Jetta launches at Detroit Auto Show WITHOUT diesel engine after cheating scandal
Volkswagen have released their latest version of their most popular saloon. But it is without its favoured diesel engine after Dieselgate scandal - and won't be coming to the UK
VOLKSWAGEN has launched its brand new 2019 Jetta - but without a diesel engine.
The German manufacturer has ditched the option from its latest saloon in light of the bruising emissions-cheating scandal that tarnished its name for the last three years.
The German car giant admitted in 2015 that 11million vehicles were fitted with software which was used to cheat on emissions tests.
Enduring more than three years of poor publicity, brand shaming and court appearances, the scandal has prompted VW to release the new Jetta with just one engine type - a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder.
Unfortunately for British fans, the Jetta won't be available on the UK market, having been axed from imports in 2017.
But for those in the US, the new saloon offers plenty to be desired.
As well as new exterior styling and updated LED lighting systems, the Jetta's interior boasts a rejuvenated interior.
Offering similar design to the Atlas and Tiguan SUVs, the sedan's finishes is available in five different trim levels, with richer materials and customisable colouring.
More advanced editions will offer the Volkswagen Digital Cockpit, with full screen-navigation, the latest infotainment system, and luxury features like driver seat memory.
The Jetta also comes with smart phone compatibility - and is the first VW in the US to include an optional BeatsAudio system.
Tipped to sell for just $19,395 (£14,000), the Jetta is fractionally cheaper than the base model of close rival the Honda Civic.
According to the company's claims at the recent Detroit Auto Show, Volkswagen are beginning to recover after being ordered to pay a record settlement of £12.1 billion for cheating emissions tests.
The brand reportedly sold more vehicles worldwide in 2017 than ever before.
Herbert Diess, chairman of the board of management of the Volkswagen passenger cars brand, said : "We finished 2017 with the best performance ever for Volkswagen."
Global sales rose 4.2 per cent to 6.2 million, with sales in China jumping 5.9 per cent to 3.2 million - more than half the total sold globally.
Other countries with strong gains in terms of percentages included the United States, Russia and Brazil, although all of these countries are much smaller markets for VW than China.
VW's sales dropped 0.1 percent in Europe, due in part to a 4.7 percent fall in Germany.
Diess reiterated VW's apology over the Dieselgate scandal that has cost it billions of dollars in settlements and government probes.
VW released the figures ahead of the launch of the Jetta, which is its top-selling vehicle in the US.
The Jetta is among just a handful of saloons that were launched at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, which is dominated by pickup trucks and other large vehicles that have been outselling smaller cars in recent years in the US.