2011 Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 35 front view

2011 Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 35 rear view

2011 Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 35 interior

2012 Volkswagen Passat front view

2012 Volkswagen Passat front view 2

This new Passat is quite different. While the European trade is still the same size after the latest update, the Passat is built in America is greater in all directions. Wheelbase, length, and of course all the rear seats is greater than ever before. Now within one inch of the Chrysler 300 in terms of rear head, shoulder and legroom. Even the trunk up to 15.9 cubic meters. This is larger than the payload bay Accord, Camry and Chevrolet Malibu.

2012 Volkswagen Passat side view

2012 Volkswagen Passat rear view

There is also a larger engine options, starting with the 2.5-liter five-cylinder-cylinder we come to know and tolerance in the Jetta. From there you can to a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder Volkswagen diesel or 3.6-liter V6 upgrade. All of them offer some form of a six-speed automatic, while the two smaller engines with manual transmission as well as be offered. Volkswagen officials said, the manual option is to strengthen the credibility of the Passat as a car driver. Reason enough for us.

2012 Volkswagen Passat seat

2012 Volkswagen Passat interior

2011 Volkswagen Jetta front view

One thing that remains consistently positive is the Jetta’s handsome looks. For 2011, the Jetta leads the charge of Volkswagen’s new corporate face.

2011 Volkswagen Jetta front view 2

It’s conservative, but not boring; crisply styled and decidedly Germanic. A three-inch stretch over previous versions is well contained by restrained styling that will age well thanks to a lack of frippery.

2011 Volkswagen Jetta side view

Inside appears as promising as the exterior upon first glance. The dashboard is cleanly styled in the classic Volkswagen idiom, and the plastics and metal accents present well.

2011 Volkswagen Jetta rear view

The truth is in the touching, though, and where you’d expect some give, there is none.In the back seat of the 2011 Jetta, there’s significantly more legroom thanks to the wheelbase stretch.

2011 Volkswagen Jetta interior

The perforated V-Tex upholstery on the firm seats does a convincing impersonation of leather, and if the lightly-bolstered standard seats aren’t enough for you, sport seats are available as part of the $1,600 Sport package that adds gussied up pedals, door sill trim and a sport suspension.

2011 Volkswagen Jetta interior 2

Despite a significant and obvious drop in the interior quality – even the non-VW faithful will notice how cheap the door panels look – the controls don’t shortchange you.

2011 Volkswagen Jetta engine

The Jetta’s cabin isn’t all ergonomic bliss, though demerits are small and liveable. Volkswagen’s itty-bitty cruise control switch atop the blinker stalk is annoyingly fiddly for a feature that sees regular use, and we never did quite figure out the RNS 315 navigation and entertainment system.

2012 Volkswagen Golf R front 2 view

The rest of the R’s interior is standard Golf spec, with high-quality materials used throughout. The level of fit-and-finish is truly top-notch, mercifully avoiding the cost-cutting measures found in the new Jetta.

2012 Volkswagen Golf R front view

All Golf Rs will come standard with the automaker’s new Climatronic automatic HVAC system, and only one interior option package will be offered, bundling a sunroof, navigation system, Dynaudio stereo and smart key with push-button start.

2012 Volkswagen Golf R side view

After a few hours of butt-in-chair time, we’re confident in saying that these seats truly make you feel one with the car – you don’t scoot around during hard cornering, and there’s ample cushioning and bolstering to reduce fatigue during long stints behind the wheel.

2012 Volkswagen Golf R rear view

Still, the standard seats – akin to what we find in the GTI – don’t warrant much griping. They just don’t hold a candle to these upgraded buckets.Speaking of the wheel, we’re happy to see that Volkswagen is keeping the flat-bottomed GTI helm intact, with a cute little R badge at the bottom (you know, for effect).

2012 Volkswagen Golf R engine

In addition to the lack of a dual-clutch option, the U.S.-spec Golf R will also be slightly down on power versus its European counterpart. Unlike the six-cylinder R32 from a few years ago, the Golf R uses Volkswagen’s 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine, which in Europe cranks out 270 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque.

2012 Volkswagen Golf R engine

However, the Scirocco is back—in Europe. VW doesn’t believe the U.S. market can support both the new car and the GTI (which is mechanically similar) without one cannibalizing the sales of the other. However, we can’t help feeling deprived of one of the hottest hot hatches on the market: the 265-hp Scirocco R, which we recently had a chance to put through its paces in the mountains near Nice, France.

The Scirocco R is the least expensive of the Volkswagen brand’s “R” models, which include the 270-hp, all-wheel-drive Golf R, as well as the European-market Passat R36 and Touareg R50. (The Seat Leon Cupra R, which is mechanically similar to the Scirocco R, undercuts the VW by about $5K in Europe.)