The German brand is getting a lot of flak these days regarding the new-generation Jetta. The automotive press has been unkind to VW’s compact sedan, emphasizing its overall downgrade in finish quality, its return to old-school mechanical components and its more conventional styling. But for Volkswagen, up to now, it’s mission accomplished.
Why? Because their goal is to sell tons more copies of this Jetta than the old version, even if that meant cheapening it up a bit. In January 2011, VW sold 1,471 copies of their compact sedan in Canada, compared to 567 in January 2010. That’s an increase of 159%. I don’t think they have any regrets.
Then again, Golf sales have dropped by 33%, so we guess the Jetta might be stealing customers away from its sister hatchback. VW probably still doesn’t have any regrets, and if the plan worked for the Jetta, it should work for the redesigned 2012 Passat.
A good portion of new sales are Jettas equipped with the base engine, which returns to Canada after roughly a one year absence, or since the City program was ditched. The 2.0-litre inline-4 sports 8 valves (no typo here, eight valves), 115 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque.
A 5-speed manual transmission is standard, but our tester includes the optional 6-speed automatic. Although it shifts gears pretty smoothly, it works hard to keep the engine in its power curve so the driver doesn’t learn new swear words. The 0 to 100 km/h dash takes 13.2 seconds; you’ll get smoked by really motivated smart fortwo drivers, something your ego might not be able to put up with.
The slightest solicitation of the throttle could very well summon a downshift from the gearbox. And when the latter is constantly rowing through gears, it takes a toll on fuel economy. We recorded an average of 11.2 L/100 km, but our week was the host of two good snowstorms. They made us look for the stability control override button when we were bogging through snow, trying to get up the incline in the office parking lot.
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| Jetta sales have almost tripled in recent months up in Canada. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
Why? Because their goal is to sell tons more copies of this Jetta than the old version, even if that meant cheapening it up a bit. In January 2011, VW sold 1,471 copies of their compact sedan in Canada, compared to 567 in January 2010. That’s an increase of 159%. I don’t think they have any regrets.
Then again, Golf sales have dropped by 33%, so we guess the Jetta might be stealing customers away from its sister hatchback. VW probably still doesn’t have any regrets, and if the plan worked for the Jetta, it should work for the redesigned 2012 Passat.
A good portion of new sales are Jettas equipped with the base engine, which returns to Canada after roughly a one year absence, or since the City program was ditched. The 2.0-litre inline-4 sports 8 valves (no typo here, eight valves), 115 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque.
A 5-speed manual transmission is standard, but our tester includes the optional 6-speed automatic. Although it shifts gears pretty smoothly, it works hard to keep the engine in its power curve so the driver doesn’t learn new swear words. The 0 to 100 km/h dash takes 13.2 seconds; you’ll get smoked by really motivated smart fortwo drivers, something your ego might not be able to put up with.
The slightest solicitation of the throttle could very well summon a downshift from the gearbox. And when the latter is constantly rowing through gears, it takes a toll on fuel economy. We recorded an average of 11.2 L/100 km, but our week was the host of two good snowstorms. They made us look for the stability control override button when we were bogging through snow, trying to get up the incline in the office parking lot.
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| Base versions of the Jetta are equipped with a 115-horsepower, 2.0-litre engine. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |