The Volkswagen Group’s plan for the next nine years includes lots and lots of new electric and electrified vehicles?but the gas-electric version of the VW Jetta won’t be one of them. The Jetta hybrid, first introduced in the U.S. in 2012, will be dropped from the lineup for the 2017 model year. That leaves the 2017 Jetta with only conventional, gas-powered engines, at least until VW can figure out how to put its TDI diesel powerplants back on sale on our shores.
Given how cheap gas prices have lowered interest in high-mpg hybrids as of late, we’re not too surprised to see the Jetta hybrid disappear. But we can’t help but think that killing off VW’s lone hybrid offered in the U.S. contradicts the company’s push towards an electrified future. It’s a bit disappointing, as we were fans of the Jetta hybrid, which was relatively fun to drive and offered an impressive EPA rating of 44 mpg combined. We even picked the hybrid version as the second-place finisher in a Jetta-only comparison test in 2013, placing it ahead of the conventional five-cylinder and TDI diesel models. (The performance-oriented GLI finished first.)
Instrumented Test: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid
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As for the rest of the Jetta lineup, three engines remain: the base 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, the mid-level 1...