Detroit Show 2010 Highlights: Volkswagen NCC Concept

Are you ready for the year of the Volkswagen? The German giant is planning to release more cars in 2010 that it has in any single year in its history, and it'll start things off with a bang in Detroit. Meet the Volkswagen New Compact Coupe Concept, the latest in a new trend of sporty hybrids.

Sporty hybrids? Indeed. The trade-off for stellar fuel economy has long been lackluster performance and a boring drive, but today's automakers are looking to change that inequity. Not to be upstaged by Honda's new CR-Z hybrid, Volkswagen has unwrapped its own sport-oriented hybrid coupe, called the NCC for short.

Volkswagen says the NCC is meant to slot between Europe's sporty Scirocco and the larger CC, a position currently held by the Jetta. At 178.5 in. long, 70.1 in. wide, 55.6 in. tall, and riding on a 104.4-in. wheelbase, the NCC is within 3 inches or less of the Jetta in every dimension. It has a stretched wheelbase, identical width, and lower roof. Is this the next-generation Jetta coupe Volkswagen enthusiasts have pined after? Perhaps.

The NCC is powered by a 1.4L turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder gasoline engine making 148 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque mated to a 27-hp electric motor and Volkswagen's seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox, all driving the front wheels. Volkswagen says the combination is good for 45 mpg while emitting only 0.35 grams of CO2 per mile. While the thrust isn't exactly mind-numbing, its claimed sprint from zero to 60 mph in 8.1 sec (three-tenths quicker than a diesel-powered Jetta) on to a top speed of 141 mph.

To accomplish all this, the gasoline engine and electric motor work together as driving conditions dictate. Powered by a 1.1 kWh battery mounted in the back of the vehicle (the battery is small enough to make room for a 13.4 cubic-foot trunk, only 2.6 cu-ft smaller than the Jetta), the electric motor can start the NCC from a stop completely on its own up to an unspecified top speed before the gasoline engine kicks in. After that, the electric motor serves to supplement and boost the output of the gas engine as needed. The electric motor can also act as a generator to recapture braking energy, and both motors can disengage themselves during coasting to minimize friction and maintain as much speed as possible.

Thanks to: Motor Trend