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All-New Volkswagen Jetta Makes World Debut at L.A. Auto Show

Volkswagen debuted the all-new Jetta at the Greater L.A. Auto Show. The 2005 Jetta goes on sale in the U.S. and Canada in March.

A dramatic laser light unveiling of the 2005 Jetta will be held at 11:15 a.m. PST January 5, 2005 at the Volkswagen exhibit in the South Hall of the L.A. Convention Center. Len Hunt, executive vice president Volkswagen of America, Inc. will lead the debut. Volkswagen AG Chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder will be in attendance.

Southern California is the top sales market in the world for Jetta, and the L.A. debut is only the second Volkswagen worldwide reveal in the U.S. The New Beetle debuted in 1998 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The Jetta is the number one selling European nameplate in the U.S. with more than 2.2 million units sold in the U.S. and Canada since 1980, accounting for about 40 percent of overall brand volume in the markets.

The all-new Jetta is larger than the previous model and offers even more value:

  • Class-leading fit and finish, heightened driving dynamics and reduced interior noise
  • fully independent suspension, a first for Jetta
  • a new, more powerful base engine (2.5L 150-hp 5-cyl vs. 2.0L 115-hp 4- cyl)
  • available six-speed automatic transmission with sport and Tiptronic shift modes
  • available new DSG direct-shift auto-manual transmission on diesel TDI models
  • standard electro-mechanical steering
  • technically advanced electronic stability program (ESP)
  • new-generation ABS all-disc brakes
  • side airbags (driver and front passenger protection)
  • Side Curtain Protection (front and rear passenger protection)
  • double-digit increases in dynamic and torsional rigidity for increased body strength
  • advanced laser-weld system for added driving dynamics and crash protection

The 2005 Jetta is built for worldwide distribution at the high-tech Volkswagen production facility in Puebla, Mexico, using an assembly process that promises to set quality standards for the model segment.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan and is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen of America and its affiliates employ approximately 3,000 people in the United States and are responsible for the sale and service of Audi, Bentley, and Volkswagen products through a retail network of more than 900 independent U.S. dealers.