AUBURN HILLS, MI — Volkswagen of America has rolled out a few changes to its 2008 lineup. The Jetta and the Rabbit will get a new 2.5L five-cylinder engine that makes 170 hp and 177lb.-ft. of torque. The improvement means 20 more horses than the outgoing engine and 7 more lb.-ft. of torque.

At the same time, several items have been stripped from the 2008 New Beetle and New Beetle Convertible. Fog lights have been deleted from all trim levels, along with floor mats, leather seating surfaces and rain-sensing wipers.

The 2008 Volkswagen GTI has a 0.6-inch ride-height reduction on two-door and four-door models, an improvement that should translate into better stability and handling. Sirius Satellite Radio is now standard on the GTI. The 2008 Volkswagen Eos gets more goodies as standard equipment, including a leather steering wheel, leather shift knob and parking brake handle. A wind blocker and center sliding armrest are now standard on the Eos. A winter starting assist mode is now standard on Eos V-6 models.

VW has tweaked the 2008 Touareg, improving the front-seat design and replacing the sport suspension on the V-6 FSI model with a comfort suspension. In terms of safety features, the Touareg gets ABS Plus and ESP.

Prices were not announced for the 2008 lineup.