€11,500 and 600,000 km guarantee: why Volkswagen's new electric sedan hides a double trap

Volkswagen unveils a new version of its electric Jetta. The sedan sees its price increase slightly to €11,500 but at the same time offers an XXL warranty of up to 600,000 km. Except that in fact, two blocking details could ruin everything.

Volkswagen has an irresistible offer with its electric Jetta M6. The electric sedan sees its price increase slightly to €11,500, but in return adds a concrete guarantee which changes absolutely everything. The worst part is that the car is large and versatile, with a range of almost 555 km. We are very far from the yogurt pot confined to the city. Unfortunately, two major obstacles compromise the acquisition of the vehicle.

Already, no matter how much we search the Volkswagen site up and down, it is simply impossible to find the Jetta M6. And for good reason: it’s not really a Volkswagen, but a Jetta. A nuance that is very important because Jetta is Volkswagen's economical brand in China... and therefore not found in Europe. If you happen to live in the Middle Kingdom, you have already passed the first filter. Congratulations !

But you are not at the end of your troubles, because a second barrier risks severely stifling any desire to purchase. This Jetta M6 is actually a version reserved for taxis. It's a bit of a cold shower for this model guaranteed 600,000 km over 8 years... If this is any consolation, know that this variant for professionals has some setbacks compared to the model intended for individuals.

The car thus loses its electric, heated, massaging and ventilated seats for more traditional seats. Less fuss also on the outside, where the alloy rims give way to sheet metal rims covered with more economical plastic hubcaps. In addition, white seems to be the only paint allowed on this version, which again greatly limits the customization possibilities.

In return, this model immediately scratches the 51.9 kWh battery, the largest of the two offered on the version intended for individuals. This results in an automatically better range, going from 465 to 555 km. The story continues at the mechanical level, with the most powerful electric machine developing 194 hp, compared to 152 hp on the first-price retail version.

In short, everything suggests that the Jetta M6 taxis are a better deal. This is confirmed in China where individuals are seeking by all means to obtain this model. Some carpooling platforms actually resell these vehicles to individuals for a pittance. It remains to be seen whether it will still be as easy to maintain the vehicle and keep the famous warranty...

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Machine-translated from French