WASHINGTON — Smart cars and Volkswagen diesels are the new stars of government fuel economy ratings. The EPA and Energy Department today issued the 2009 fuel economy guide. The overall fuel economy leader is no surprise. It’s the Toyota Prius, rated at 48 mpg in the city and 45 on the highway. The additions to the top 10 list this year are the Smart ForTwo convertible and coupe and Volkswagen Jetta diesels.

The Smarts, which arrived in the United States in January, were too late for the 2008 guide. This year the Smart models hold down the No. 5 spot with ratings of 33 mpg city and 41 mpg highway. The Jetta diesels were not in the market last year because they did not meet tighter clean air rules. They are back this year with improved emissions controls. The sedan and wagon with manual transmissions are in seventh place with ratings of 30 mpg city and 41 mpg highway. The sedan and wagon with automatic transmissions are in eighth place with ratings of 29 and 40.

Bringing up the bottom, among all makes and models, is the Lamborghini Murcielago, rated at 8 mpg city and 13 mpg highway. This is the second year in which revised testing and calculation methods mean almost all vehicles get lower ratings than before. The methodology was changed to make ratings more closely reflect real-world driving.

For 2009 the EPA and Energy Department are touting the availability of the fuel economy data on mobile devices, such as smart phones or personal digital assistants.

The full guide is available at www.fueleconomy.gov.

Here is the top 10 list for 2009:
1. Toyota Prius (hybrid) — 48/45
2. Honda Civic Hybrid — 40/45
3. Nissan Altima Hybrid — 35/33
4. Ford Escape Hybrid FWD; Mazda Tribute Hybrid 2WD; Mercury Mariner Hybrid FWD — 34/31
5. Smart ForTwo convertible; Smart ForTwo coupe — 33/41
6. Toyota Camry Hybrid — 33/34
7. Volkswagen Jetta (manual, diesel); Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen (manual, diesel) — 30/41
8. Volkswagen Jetta (automatic, diesel); Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen (automatic, diesel) — 29/40
9. Toyota Yaris (manual) — 29/36
10. Toyota Yaris (automatic) — 29/35

Volkswagen Makes Annual EPA Top Ten List with All-New Clean Diesel Jettas 

HERNDON, Va. - The 50-state compliant clean diesel Volkswagen Jetta TDI sedan and SportWagen TDI have claimed two of the top positions in the annual EPA and Energy Departments’ list of the most fuel efficient vehicles.  The Jetta TDI’s are the only clean diesel vehicles to make the top ten list, which was released last week.

 ”Many of the vehicles on this list are hybrids, and we’re proud to have the only clean diesel cars to receive top honors in such an import list, particularly,” said Mark Barnes, chief operating officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc.  “At a time when fuel economy is top of mind for consumers we are proud of our Jetta TDI sedan and SportWagen TDI for offering a true no compromise deal for consumers - comfort, economy and performance.”

While the Environmental Protection Agency estimates the Jetta TDI at an economical 29 mpg City and 40 mpg Highway, Volkswagen went a step further to show the true fuel economy of the Jetta TDI. Leading third-party certifier, AMCI, has tested the Jetta TDI and found it performed 24 percent better in real world conditions, achieving 38 mpg in the City and 44 mpg on the Highway. 

This announcement also comes on the heels of the Jetta TDI setting a Guinness World Record for Lowest Fuel Consumption across the 48 continental United States with an amazing 58.82 miles per gallon.

In addition to the fuel savings drivers will get with the Jetta TDI vehicles, buyers are also be eligible for a $1,300 Federal Income Tax Credit since the vehicles qualify for the Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle Federal income tax.   The Jetta TDI’s start at $21,990 for the sedan, and the diesel SportWagen starts at $23,590 and are both currently available in dealerships.

Also standard for 2009 is Volkswagen’s carefree maintenance program, with this program there are no charges for the scheduled maintenance described in the vehicle’s maintenance booklet for the length of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty - three years or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first.

Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Volkswagen of America, Inc. recently announced Electronic Stability Program (ESP) as standard equipment on all its 2009 vehicles.  As a result, Volkswagen is one of the only original equipment manufacturers to offer an electronic stability control system on their entire product line - ahead of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) deadline requiring vehicles in the 2012 model year to include stability control systems. Volkswagen’s ESP technology works in conjunction with anti-lock brakes and helps reduce loss of control. 

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen Group of America is headquartered in Herndon, Va.  It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany.  Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, GLI, Passat, Passat Wagon, CC, Eos, Routan, Tiguan and Touareg through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers.  Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com.

HERNDON, Va. – David Richert, Niverville, Manitoba, Canada, won the first year of the Jetta TDI Cup Media Contest by securing more media coverage then any of the other 29 drivers in the clean diesel series.  This result was made even more significant by the fact that Richert, 26, completed the season ranked 25th but managed to parlay his media efforts into enough coverage to secure him a trip to Germany to drive in a race of the ADAC Polo Cup, the same prize awarded to the series points champion Josh Hurley.

 ”It has been an honor to represent the Volkswagen brand and promote clean diesel throughout the race season,” said Richert.  “As drivers, what we do off the race track is often more important than what we do on the track.  Winning the VW Media Contest and earning the opportunity to race at Hockenheim is a huge boost for my racing career. I applaud Volkswagen for creating this initiative and providing us with the necessary tools to succeed at it.”

 Designed to teach drivers the importance of media to their racing careers, the Jetta TDI Cup Media Contest encouraged the building of relationships with key members of the media, especially in the drivers home towns.  In order for the media activity to be counted in the contest, drivers were required to develop story ideas, pitch media, track and submit all forms of media throughout the series.

 As a local farmer with a dream to race cars, Richert generated enough interest in his home town and surrounding area that he was asked to help the mayor of Winnipeg unveil new city signs earlier this year.  He also made a visit to a children’s hospital in Connecticut, and threw out the first pitch in a minor league baseball game.  The relationships he formed with his local media led to multiple radio interviews, television appearances and continuous coverage in his local papers. 

To receive more information, or register for the 2009 Jetta TDI Cup season, interested participants between the ages of 16-26 can visit vw.com to sign up to receive more information.

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series is an innovative approach to motorsports – 30 factory-prepared and managed 2009 clean-diesel Jetta TDIs will be piloted by talented, up-and-coming drivers, aged 16 to 26. Volkswagen’s goal is to find the driver with the most talent and help them break into the world of professional motorsports. The Jetta TDI Cup series, the first all clean-diesel race series, is sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing Inc. Sponsors for the race include: Aggreko, Athlete’s Performance, Bondurant, Bosch, ful®, Holder, Hoopla, Ironclad, Kyosho, Oakley, RedBull, UTI and ViON.
 
Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Volkswagen of America, Inc. recently announced Electronic Stability Program (ESP) as standard equipment on all its 2009 vehicles.  As a result, Volkswagen is one of the only original equipment manufacturers to offer an electronic stability control system on their entire product line – ahead of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) deadline requiring vehicles in the 2012 model year to include stability control systems. Volkswagen’s ESP technology works in conjunction with anti-lock brakes and helps reduce loss of control and rollovers to avoid crashes.  NHTSA predicts nearly 10,000 lives could be saved each year if automakers included stability systems as standard equipment.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Va.  It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany.  Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, GLI, Passat, Passat Wagon, Eos, Routan, Tiguan and Touareg through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers.  Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com.

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