Dropping the rear seat backs reveals an opening into the trunk much larger than on many other sedans featuring fold-down rear
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| The capacity of the Jetta's deep trunk of 453 litres (16 cu ft) is up there with many mid-size offerings - very impressive in view of its compact class rating. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
seating. The capacity of the Jetta's deep trunk of 453 litres (16 cu ft) is up there with many mid-size offerings - very impressive in view of its compact class rating. Also impressive is its comfortable driving position, aided by a telescoping/tilting steering column. With driving in mind, it's time to fire up the new 2.5-litre (153 cu in) transversely-mounted inline five-cylinder powerplant and check out the Jetta on the road.
The new five-banger was engineered with plenty of low-end torque specifically for the North American market - remember the chrome grille. It utilizes a total of 20 valves and a head design borrowed from the Lamborghini Gallardo V10 (VW didn't think Jetta customers would object). The little beast twists out 150 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 170 pounds-feet of torque at a pleasing 3,750 rpm. It outguns most four-bangers in both power and operational refinement; however, on both counts, it falls short of the better V6s on today's market. Despite the I-5's refinement shortcomings, it scoots the roomy compact about
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| The new 2.5-litre (153 cu in) transversely-mounted inline five-cylinder powerplant twists out 150 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 170 pounds-feet of torque at a pleasing 3,750 rpm. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
with enthusiasm - often feeling stronger than its ratings would suggest.
The new-for-2005, six-speed autobox no doubt contributes to the Jetta's punchiness by reliably slotting the most suitable cog into the drivetrain when tasked with highway passing or hill climbing. The sixth cog ought to maximize fuel economy as well, yet the Jetta 2.5 only achieves reasonable
fuel economy of 10.8 L/100 km in the city and 7.2 L/100 km on the highway rather than class-leading mileage. I suppose obtaining the latter requires a 'TDI' designation, representative of VW's Turbo-Direct-Injection diesel power, which remains available in the Jetta.
