Detroit auto show: Volkswagen reveals New Compact Coupe

Volkswagen has gone public on plans for a coupe variant of the next-generation Jetta with the unveiling of a near-to-production-ready concept on Monday at the Detroit auto show.

Dubbed the New Compact Coupe (NCC), the new two-door presages the look and mechanical layout Volkswagen plans to adopt on a new front-wheel-drive model to be built at its Puebla plant in Mexico as part of ongoing plans to further penetrate the U.S. market.

Conceived primarily for North America--which does not receive the Volkswagen Scirocco, owing to the high cost of importing it from Palmela, Portugal, where it is assembled alongside the Eos--Volkswagen says a production version of the NCC could also be sold in other key markets as part of the sixth-generation Jetta lineup, which will also include a similarly styled sedan and wagon.

All three future Jetta models are expected to share the same edgy styling and detailing revealed by the NCC. However, the upcoming coupe is set to boast its own unique front-end design, a faster windshield angle, frameless doors and widened tracks in a move similar to that used by BMW in differentiating the 3-series coupe from its four-door sedan sibling.

"We didn't just want to put two doors on a Jetta. Buyers expect more from a coupe these days. The changes are subtle, but they help provide the NCC with its own visual flavor," said Klaus Bischoff, head of Volkswagen brand design.

At 178.5 inches in length, 70.1 inches in width and 55.6 inches in height, the NCC adheres closely to the dimension of today's Jetta. But with a rear track that has been lengthened by more than an inch and a slightly lower ride height, it boasts a more planted stance that is further enhanced on the Detroit show car by 19-inch alloys shod with 235/35 section Goodyear Eagle F1 tires.

The NCC's drivetrain provides the first clues to how Volkswagen plans to add a gasoline-electric hybrid option to selected volume selling front-wheel-drive models, including the Golf and the Jetta, from 2014 onward. At the heart of the new two-door is the German carmaker's popular Twincharger engine. The transversely mounted supercharged and turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder delivers 150 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque.

The direct-injection unit is supported by a brushless electric motor integrated into the gearbox within the left-hand side of the engine bay. With 27 hp and 103 lb-ft, it draws electricity from a 1.1 kilowatt/hour lithium-ion battery housed in the floor of the trunk to boost the NCC's overall output to 177 hp and 280 lb-ft.

Channeling the combined outputs to the front wheels is a specially adapted version of Volkswagen's latest seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The wet-sump unit, engineered to handle up to 500 Nm of torque, has been modified to include automatic stop/start and brake-energy recuperation.

Volkswagen has engineered its new hybrid system to allow electric-only propulsion, albeit for short distances only owing to the small capacity of the battery. In electric mode, the gaoline engine not only shuts off but is also disengaged by the clutch to reduce mechanical drag in a so-called "coast down" mode.

Volkswagen isn't revealing how much the system weighs but claims the NCC will hit 62 mph from standstill in 8.1 seconds on the way to a top speed of 141 mph.