Volkswagen South Africa has confirmed that the next-generation Jetta will not be offered locally, with the nameplate set to exit the local market after some 38 years.
The reason? Well, it seems the Wolfsburg-based brand will not be producing the seventh-generation version of the sedan in right-hand drive.
“There are no plans to introduce the next-generation Jetta in South Africa. The Jetta will continue globally, but not for us in right-hand drive,” VW SA told CARmag.co.za.
Interestingly, the local arm of the German automaker added that it was “looking at alternatives” to fill the gap due to be left by the Jetta. And it’s not an insignificant gap, either, considering that VW SA sold 1 630 examples of the Jetta in the first 11 months of 2017, with November proving its best month (252) of the year thus far.
The new (left-hand drive only) Jetta is due to be revealed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2018, but VW SA says it will continue selling the sixth-generation model until stock runs dry, which it tentatively predicts could be as late as early 2019.
The current Jetta range in SA comprises five derivatives, priced from R278 900 for the naturally aspirated 1,6-litre Conceptline variant through to R386 900 for the 1,6 TDI Comfortline flagship.
