Volkswagen of America Inc. unveiled Tuesday its all-new 2011 Jetta for the first time in New York's Times Square.

"Today marks the beginning of a new era for Volkswagen and for Jetta," said Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America Inc. "The all-new 2011 Jetta is a class-up driving experience with the kind of styling, design and power under the hood normally found in more expensive luxury cars. At an extremely attractive price, this car is sophisticated, fun to drive and practical."

The all-new 2011 Jetta is offered at a starting price point of around $16,000, and will be available in the U.S. this October.

Engine and Transmission

The North American version of the all-new 2011 Jetta will have four engine options, including a 2.0-liter turbodiesel direct injection (TDI) Clean Diesel featuring common rail injection with 236 lbs-ft. of torque (320 Newton-meters). Additional engines include the 2.0, 2.5 R5, and as of 2011, the 2.0 TSI. 

All Jetta engines will be offered with a manual transmission as standard equipment. An automatic transmission will also be available with each engine version as an option. 

On the new 2.0-liter TDI and 2.0-liter TSI, Volkswagen will offer the 6-speed DSG. In the U.S., S, SE, SEL and TDI versions of the Jetta will be available, as will a 2.0-liter GLI.

Exterior

The all-new 2011 Jetta has been completely overhauled, inside and out. Its new wheelbase and exterior length are significantly bigger than its predecessor. At 182.7-inches long, 57.1 inches tall and 70.1 inches wide, it is more than 3.5 inches longer than its predecessors. 

Interior

A key benefit of the extended wheelbase is that it resulted in a more comfortable layout of the five-seat rear seating area. Legroom is now a long 38.1 inches, a 2.6-inch gain from the previous model. Customers looking for a more personalized touch can for the first time have interior accents changed out at a Volkswagen dealer.

The rear bench seatback is split 40/60 and folds, increasing the car's versatility. The tailgate can also be opened from inside the car by a remote unlock switch. Up to six airbags (two front airbags, two side airbags in front, two window airbags/thorax airbags in the area of the front side windows) are also part of the equipment package.