2010 Volkswagen Rabbit Details

Rabbit's crisp new outer body panels impart a look that seems to be a cross between the new Volkswagen Scirocco and a VW Touareg SUV. The sixth-generation German-market Volkswagen Golf is pictured.

The 2010 Volkswagen Rabbit reportedly switches to VW's new "MQB" front-wheel-drive architecture, which is destined for a host of future compact and midsize vehicles. Recently released photos of the sixth-generation German-market Volkswagen Golf show the redesign preserves the current model's general dimensions and appearance. The crisp new outer body panels impart a look that seems to be a cross between the new Volkswagen Scirocco and a VW Touareg SUV. Many underskin components will be replaced or modified, again to reduce manufacturing costs. U.S.-market powertrains are thus far unknown, but we wouldn't be surprised if the current 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine returns with a standard 6-speed manual transmission, replacing a 5-speed unit, or an optional 6-speed torque-converter automatic. However, the Mark VI VW Golf is launching in Europe with 6- and 7-speed versions of Volkswagen's DSG automated-manual transmission, in lieu of a conventional automatic. Availability of the DSG in the new Rabbit will likely be decided by the accountants. The 2010 Volkswagen Rabbit may also list the new 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel engine that is available on the VW Jetta.

­Most all these changes would also show up­ in the Rabbit's sporty cousins, the two- and four-door GTI hatchbacks, as well as the related Jetta sedans, VW's top-selling U.S. cars. The 2010 Volkswagen GTI should reprise a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline engine linked to a 6-speed manual transmission or the new 7-speed DSG, but expect a horsepower bump to around 210. The extra-sporty all-wheel-drive R32 may not return, and some reports say it will be replaced with a GTI-R model that gets a 265-horse four and all-wheel drive.

VW was America's number-one import brand in the 1950s and '60s, but has since shown a curiously cavalier regard for the world's richest car market, thus allowing Japanese nameplates to take over. Though VW fans might cheer a renewed focus on North America, we wonder whether the company can gain much lost ground si­mply with cheaper, re-tailored products. After all, VW tried selling domesticated Rabbits from a second-hand plant in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, back in the late 1970s and couldn't stop buyers from defecting to Toyota, Nissan, and Honda. Will things be different this time? Well, VW acknowledges that it must deliver not just lower prices but also better quality, reliability, and customer satisfaction, so they seem to know what they're up against.