The latest Jetta with a refreshed face and interiors{according to Volkswagen} has been launched. A worthy rival for its peers including Honda Civic, Toyota’s best selling sedan across the world Corolla and not to mention the Mazda3. Our first impression of the Jetta was going around and having a look and checking if Volkswagen have given us the new Jetta or the globally developed Vento sedan. Visually you would be hard pressed to know the difference between both. However a review is a review and we get down to the task of shredding the car apart literally{pun, unintended}..

Looks

As discussed earlier, the new Jetta looks like a grown-up Volkswagen Vento. The Vento is a budget sedan built for third world countries and is based on the Polo hatchback. It would soon be introduced to Europe and America. The word Jetta means black gem in England. The model we got to test was close to black but it wasn’t a black gem but rather a Blue one. For the firs time, Volkswagen are introducing the same Jetta as found in Europe however we couldn’t get our hands on a base version{strangely there weren’t any around}. We got the top of the line SEL spec. The Golf derived front end now has a more mature design but the protruding lip spoiler comes across as overcooked{in the name of aerodynamics} and a bit awkward. It has a slit bumper{one for the radiator grille and other for the air-dam} and headlamps. The roof shows a cool amount of sloping while allowing plenty of interior headroom, the hood gradually flows down to keep the grille from being too prominent, and the back merges evenly into the bumper.  From the side profile, you see two creases that run the length of the car and the SEL version we tested had the 16 inch wheels. These fill out of the wheel arches well considering that you can specify 15 and 17 inch wheels as well. The alloys are multi spoke{10} ones similar to the ones found on the 2010 Jetta. Moving onto the rear, it reminds you of design cues of bigger brother Phaeton and cousin Audi A4. The tail lamps look the same from Audi A4. This should be no surprise since this comes from Walter de’Silva who is famous for designing Audi’s from 2002-2007.  The dual silencers also look quite subdued giving the air that the new Jetta is for families and not for the hooligans. On a practical note, we found the trunk to be amazingly large. It actually compared to that of the, dare we say, Audi A8. The ORVMs do look good and wide. Alongwith the integrated turn signals and heating, it is a useful asset.

Interiors

As we have always maintained that you can get over the exteriors of a car but the interiors is where you practically live in. Volkswagen had to cut down on the price of the Jetta as the Civic and Corolla start at $15,655 and $15,450 respectively and the 2010 Jetta started at $17,735. The 2011 Jetta now starts at $15,995. Still a dollar here and there more than the competition though. The reason why we are discussing the price in the Interiors section is coz all this price reduction is done at the expense of interior quality. Starting with the doors, they don’t shut with a thud that the previous generation Jetta used to. Ingress and egress can be a bit problem with the low flooring. Step in and you are greeted with vast expanses of Black{on the dashboard} and biege for the seats. The plastics feel cheap to touch. The multifunction steering wheel is devoid of any leather wrapping though this can be remedied with opting for the optional package. The old climate control has been retuned and in the process cheap rotary knobs and buttons have been introduced.

The push button starter largely seems like an afterthought and sort of flimsly built. If your philosophy is like of an old lady who says “Look but don’t touch”, the Jetta would fit you to the T. Volkswagen cannot be blamed for this cost cutting as they have lowered the asking price tag for this sedan and it shows in abundance inside the cabin. The door pockets are deep but there are no many cup holders. The seats are pretty comfortable but not as comfortable as the Corolla or for that matter the Civic. The Sports model offers better side bolstering and slightly softer cushioning. Volkswagen led us to believe that the new Jetta offers significantly more leg room at the rear than the standard BMW 7 series however it didn’t feel so. It may be due to the low seating and the hip to joint ratio feeling not much relaxed.

It was surprising that Volkswagen has decided to mostly do away with the options and make cabin techfare dependent on trim level you choose. The SEL trim car now comes standard with navigation, Bluetooth phone system, 16-inch Sedona wheels, a six-speaker stereo, iPod integration, Sirius and a new five-inch touchscreen navigation system. This new navigation system is vastly improved but sadly also lacks some features. It is a fast reaction unit when processing your requests and also calculating your route and distances. It also displays the speed limits for the route chosen. However the LCD is small and doesn’t project traffic conditions or weather. One glaring discrepancy was ability to not select destinations from the map.The LCD is a touch screen and every input can be made via a knob and two buttons. Here also, it is evident that cues have been taken from Audi’s cabin{which is not a bad thing} as the menus use different colors for different applications. The Bluetooth system also worked perfect syncing the phone contacts into its SD card{yes, there is a SD card with the car} memory. The one thing lacking was the audio quality from the car’s six-speaker system nonetheless better than the earlier four speaker system. While stepping up the volume, the front panels began to rattle bringing forth the cost cutting measure discussed earlier. The Cruise control button is on the stalk colum which is an inconvenience and the audio controls on the steering wheel.

Handling and ride quality

The earlier Jetta never disappointed in this department however the new one has a catch to it. The 2011 Jetta suspension is decided by which trim you choose. Yes, you read it right. The suspension is comprised of MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam in the rear, with the available Sport pack substituting in stiffer springs, retuned dampers and larger anti-roll bars. The GLI{which would be available by December } will have a multilink arrangement at the rear. The new suspension set up from the previous one was barely recognisable and the sporty handling as opposed to the Civic and Corolla{the Mazda3 is the one to beat in the handling stakes} is a boon. However the average customer whom Volkswagen is targetting upon would care less about handling. Push the Jetta hard enough and the car will understeer but within safe limits. It can be easily predicted that the Jetta is a safe handler. The ride though firm was comfortable. Low speed ride was a bite jiggly but the car smothers imperfections on the road once it builds up speed.

Performance and fuel efficiency

Four engines are going to be available in the U.S. and Canada, including a 2.0-litre turbodiesel with 320 Nm of torque. Volkswagen claims that this engine runs as quietly as a gasoline engine, but has the power of a sports car achieving 0-100 kph in sub 9 seconds. Other engines would include the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder, the 2.5-litre 5-cylinder and the turbocharged 2.0-litre TSI{would come in later}. All Jetta engines will be offered with a 6 speed manual transmission as standard . An automatic transmission will also be on offer with each engine version as an option. On the new 2.0-litre TDI and TSI, Volkswagen will offer the 6-speed DSG automanual transmission.

We sampled the 2.5-liter five-pot motor delivering 170 hp at 5,700 rpm and 177 lb-ft of torque at 4,250 rpm. We had a manual tranny one which clocked 0-60 speed runs at 8.2 seconds and the automatic one completing the speed run in 8.5 seconds. This negligible speed difference makes the automatic the natural choice for the US market. The 2.0-liter inline-four will produce 115 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 125 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 revs. Its initial fuel economy is pegged at 24/34 mpg city/hwy. The 2.0-liter TFSI four will belt out 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque, and deliver a 0-60 time of 6.7 seconds with a six-speed manual and 6.8 secs when fitted with auto DSG transmission.

Floor the throttle on the 2.5 liter motor and there is an initial lag in response. It seems that the motor wasn’t calibrated properly or accelerator wasn’t fine tuned. However the subsequent build up of power was rapid and the car felt lively to drive. We achieved efficiency figures of 28.5 mpg which was a combination of city and highway runs on this indirect engine. EPA ratings estimate 23 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. Notable was that the fuel guage took a long time to reach from full to even half.

Verdict

The Jetta, though many would love to have a World War 3 about its look, is quite an affordable car now thanks to price revisions and cost cutting by Volkswagen America. Its initial price point makes it a worthy alternative to the Japanese cars. It has a subdued look, gives good ride quality and predictable handling. It also earns brownie points for the design of its cabin tech interface, which is particularly good. Though its starting price is pegged at $15,995, the more you tick the options package, the price rises but not quite so. The SE range comes in at $18,195, and alongwith the Convenience package, it  rises to about $20k. Add the sunroof option and you’re up to $20,795. The SEL starts at ($21,395) and stops at $24,195, this not including the $1,100 automatic option. Volkswagen’s decision to revise the price stems from the fact that they are gunning for the position of World’s number 1 automaker. With new cars such as the 2011 Jetta and the Vento, they are trying to blend their core values with affordable motoring. This seems to be a good move and one we would have to wait and watch if it turns for the better or worse.

Spec box

Model	2011 Volkswagen Jetta
Trim	SEL
Power train	2.5-liter five-cylinder engine; 6-speed manual transmission
EPA fuel economy	23 mpg city/33 mpg highway
Observed fuel economy	28.5 mpg
Navigation	Standard flash memory based
Bluetooth phone support	Standard
Disc player	MP3-compatible single CD
MP3 player support	iPod integration
Other digital audio	Bluetooth streaming, USB drive, auxiliary input, satellite radio
Audio system	Six-speaker stereo
Driver aids	None
Base price	$21,395
Price as tested	$22,295