Volkswagen just announced the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen. It will be ready for sale in July, and will offer either a 2.5-liter in-line five with a five-speed manual or automatic, or a turbo four with 200 hp and either a six-speed manual or a six-speed Tiptronic automatic, Car Connection reports. Plus, this car will also offer VW's first 50-state diesel engine as an option with a unique drivetrain: a six-speed dual-clutch automatic, but without the paddle shifters that VW equips other DSG models with.

Word on the street is that the diesel version will appear by the end of this summer. It will put out 140 hp, 236 lb ft. of torque, and did I mention it will be 50-state certified? So far only Mercedes has made a similar announcement, and those things cost a lot of money, I hear.

"With the increase in diesel prices, Volkswagen execs say the selling points for the engine will have to be a little more creative," Car Connection said. "They'll have to sell to people who can do math to see the benefit of a 50-mpg sedan, with diesel fuel running up to $1 a gallon more than unleaded, over a standard 25-mpg sedan. They'll also be selling the car's range, which could easily top 600 miles on a single tank of diesel.

"The new TDI engine can run on 5-percent biodiesel out of the starting gates," the article continued. "The diesel could give Volkswagen back the cleaner, greener edge it needs to boost sales in the U.S." Options on all Jetta Sportwagens will include a panoramic sunroof, Sirius satellite radio, and a navigation system. Pricing will range from about $19,000 to $26,000, depending on the trim level, according to the report.