VW says: A concept that delivers the seemingly contradictory mix of a petrol-engined, practical, performance-oriented coupe with extraordinary economy and sub-100 g/km CO2 emissions.

Spec sheet: Petrol/electric hybrid coupe with a 150bhp 1.4-litre TSI engine mated to a 27bhp electric motor.

The importance of the New Compact Coupe (NCC) concept is to show how VW will transform its current Jetta – a somewhat dull and amorphous-looking fish with ill-defined soft and gently curved flanks – into a more angular and decisive saloon in keeping with VW Group design boss Walter de Silva’s new direction. The sixth-generation Jetta will get the NCC’s slim grille already seen on the 2009 Polo and to a lesser extent the 2008 Golf – but will not be ‘closed’ – unless on super-eco Bluemotion models for greater aerodynamic benefits. It will also sport a pronounced side shoulder line and similar rear lights and should appear lower, wider and more solid on the road – without appearing aggressive. Based on the Eos platform, the new Jetta – due on sale in the US late 2010 and in Europe early 2011 – should also share the NCC concept’s 2650mm wheelbase but will likely be a little longer, higher and narrower. Although shown in concept as a three-door car with a strict four-seat cabin divided by a high central spine, the next Jetta range will begin life with only a four-door, five-seat version. A coupe more akin to this concept could still follow though. The production-ready interior will be familiar to current Golf drivers but, bedecked in bright white, the ribbed leather seats and lightly reflective horizontal-line dashboard detailing convey a sense of purity appropriate with this concept’s eco leanings.