2013 VW Jetta Hybrid Sets New Speed Record for Hybrids at 185mph

The regular 2013 Jetta Hybrid combines a 1.4-liter turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinder TSI gasoline engine that produces 150hp with a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission and an electric motor that provides an additional 27-horses.

The car that reached a top speed of 185.394 mph (298.363 km/h) at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Nevada during the Southern California Timing Association’s (SCTA) annual Speed Week was specially modified according to SCTA rules.

Volkswagen doesn't go into a lot of details about the changes made to the Jetta Hybrid or does it reveal the performance numbers. Here's what the company does say:

"To achieve the kind of horsepower needed to run at 185 mph (298 kph) at Bonneville, the powertrain was modified by Volkswagen R&D in Wolfsburg, Germany. Project integration and other modifications to enable the car to run safely on the salt were handled by A-Salt Racing and Advanced Product Engineering, based in Camarillo, California. The implementation and final calibration of the drivetrain in the car was supported by the engineers from the Volkswagen Test Center California in Oxnard, CA."

According to Volkswagen, the 185mph run is the fastest speed ever achieved by a production-based hybrid car on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

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2014 Volkswagen Jetta Alltrack

The artist used the latest Jetta sedan as a base, initially transforming the car into to a station wagon model and then beefing up the body with all the usual soft-roader fare.

These include the front and rear underbody metal skid plates, chromed roof rails, plastic cladding around the bumpers, wheel arches and side sills along with a new set of alloy wheel designs.

If VW takes the decision to produce an Alltrack version of the next Jetta SportWagen, then it will likely offer a choice of standard front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive and a selection of gasoline and diesel powertrains.

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VW Jetta Hybrid

The compact sedan's hybrid powertrain consists of a 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine delivering 150-horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque from just 1400 rpm up to 3500 rpm, a 20 kW (27 hp) electric motor and a 1.1 kWh battery that is integrated behind the rear bench.

Combined, the TSI unit and the electric motor give a peak power of 170 PS, which are delivered to the front wheels through a seven-speed dual clutch DSG transmission.

Just like the Touareg Hybrid, the new addition to the Jetta range features a parallel hybrid system that uses a decoupling clutch that can disengage both the petrol motor for pure electric drive or when coasting or braking and the electric motor for higher speeds or when the battery charge is low, or combine the two units for maximum output.

On electric power alone, the Jetta Hybrid can be driven at speeds of up to 44mph (70km/h) and over a distance of 1.3 miles (2km), depending on conditions.

VW says that the Jetta Hybrid weighs only 220 pounds (100 kg) more than the non-hybrid Jetta at less than 1,500 kg (3,307 lbs) in total.

Along with the mechanical changes, the hybrid model also gets a raft of aerodynamic modifications such as the a new front spoiler, a rear diffuser and a rear spoiler that all help to improve the car’s Cd value by 10 percent over the regular version. In addition, there are new new headlamps with LED running lights, LED rear lights and bespoke 15-inch alloy wheels with low rolling resistance tires.

The Hybrid model has also been enhanced with a newly designed exhaust system, an acoustic windscreen and thicker front side windows to make it even quieter, while VW also redesigned the instrument panel than now features a new screen plus a "power meter" and a multifunction display on the left.

The Jetta Hybrid will initially launch only in the USA and Canada in November 2012.

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