Rabbit Named One of the ’2009 Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000′ by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com

Third year in a row for Volkswagen Rabbit

HERNDON, Va., June 23 /PRNewswire/ — Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced that the Rabbit has once again been named one of the “Top 10 Coolest Cars Under $18,000″ by Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com), a top rated consumer web-site that provides vehicle pricing and information. The annual accolade acknowledges automakers for producing vehicles that emphasize performance, safety, fuel economy, interior size, and comfort. This year the editors also selected vehicles with a growing emphasis on personality, versatility, and technology.

“Volkswagen of America is thrilled that our Rabbit has once again been recognized by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com as one of the Coolest New Cars Under $18,000,” said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America. “The Rabbit truly embodies the Volkswagen Brand–affordable German engineering in a stylish and fun-to-drive package,” added Barnes.

Since 2003, Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com has announced the “Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000″ to provide consumers a list of affordable and stylish vehicles. The editors at kbb.com compiled the list of qualifying vehicles using Kelley Blue Book’s New Car Blue Book Values, which reflect real-world transaction prices and provides a useful comparison point as compared to the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP).

“The fun, refined and versatile Volkswagen Rabbit has found its way onto our Coolest Cars list yet again. This will be the last year, though, as a new, sixth-generation version of Volkswagen’s venerable hatchback is set to show up for the 2010 model year and will again sport a ‘Golf’ nametag,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com.

The 2009 Rabbit comes standard with a fun-to-drive 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder engine that delivers 170 horsepower and 177 lbs.-ft. of torque. The engine can be mated to either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic(R). Adding to the Rabbits fun-to-drive DNA is a multi-link rear suspension and an electro-mechanical power-assisted steering system that contribute to the vehicles agility and nimbleness. Regardless of which transmission is selected, the Rabbit’s performance and fuel economy numbers add up to guilt-free fun. With the manual the Rabbit gets 29 miles per gallon (MPG) on the highway, and the automatic gets 30 mpg on the highway.

The Rabbit, like all 2009 model year Volkswagen’s, is included in the no-charge Carefree Maintenance Program. Under this program all of the Rabbit’s scheduled maintenance, as described in its maintenance booklet, is covered for the length of the new vehicle warranty–three years or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first.

For more information about the 2009 Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000 by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com, visit www.kbb.com/coolcars2009.

About Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GLI, Passat, Passat wagon, CC, Tiguan, Touareg 2 and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2009 Volkswagens come standard-equipped with Electronic Stabilization Program. This is important because the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com or www.media.vw.com to learn more.

SOURCE Volkswagen of America, Inc.