And when funnelled through the automatic transmission (a 5-speed manual is standard), expect a lot of gear changing, as the 6-speed gearbox downshifts at the least flirt with the gas pedal in order to give you the most available power, even on the highway. Yet at 100 km/h, the tach is showing 2,000 rpm, so the drive is quiet.
As for the TDI engine, it’s unchanged, so it still serves up 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. Performance-wise, it’s much closer to what the 2.5-litre inline-5 can manage than the gasoline 2.0L, and delivers highway mileage of about 5.0 L/100 km.
And despite being Americanized somewhat, the car’s dynamic capabilities are diluted lightly but not spoiled, so that’s good news.
Mechanically, drum brakes equip all lower-level trims instead of rear discs; the TDI Comfortline as well as all Sportline and Highline trims get four-wheel discs. The rear suspension features a semi-independent torsion beam, a setup that used to be featured on the Jetta before the turn of the century. In both these cases, the downgrade levels the Jetta to its rivals, but doesn’t make it worse.
Other penny-pinching measures include a more basic trunk finish, and no more struts. Same thing under the hood, where a prop rod now resides. Big deal.
Inside the Jetta, the soft-textured dashboard has made way for a hard-textured one. It looks the same but obviously feels cheaper. Trendline and Trendline+ models don’t get front or rear center armrests, which is too bad.
VW claims class-leading rear-seat space, and they’re mostly right; legroom is more generous than in any other of its rivals. The Jetta’s trunk is also one of the biggest in its category, so the car feels like it’s bigger than a compact.
As for the TDI engine, it’s unchanged, so it still serves up 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. Performance-wise, it’s much closer to what the 2.5-litre inline-5 can manage than the gasoline 2.0L, and delivers highway mileage of about 5.0 L/100 km.
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| As for the TDI engine, it’s unchanged, so it still serves up 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers/Auto123.com) |
And despite being Americanized somewhat, the car’s dynamic capabilities are diluted lightly but not spoiled, so that’s good news.
Mechanically, drum brakes equip all lower-level trims instead of rear discs; the TDI Comfortline as well as all Sportline and Highline trims get four-wheel discs. The rear suspension features a semi-independent torsion beam, a setup that used to be featured on the Jetta before the turn of the century. In both these cases, the downgrade levels the Jetta to its rivals, but doesn’t make it worse.
Other penny-pinching measures include a more basic trunk finish, and no more struts. Same thing under the hood, where a prop rod now resides. Big deal.
Inside the Jetta, the soft-textured dashboard has made way for a hard-textured one. It looks the same but obviously feels cheaper. Trendline and Trendline+ models don’t get front or rear center armrests, which is too bad.
VW claims class-leading rear-seat space, and they’re mostly right; legroom is more generous than in any other of its rivals. The Jetta’s trunk is also one of the biggest in its category, so the car feels like it’s bigger than a compact.
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| Inside the Jetta, the soft-textured dashboard has made way for a hard-textured one. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers/Auto123.com) |