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And free is good, right? If you'd be so kind as to allow our site, we promise to keep bringing you great content. Thanks for that. And thanks for reading Autoblog. Damon Lavrinc. Say auf wiedersehen to the massive grille and accompanying chrome, and instead, enjoy a more aggressive take on the Golf's fascia, complete with a bisecting bumper and slit headlamps.
The lower air dam and recessed fog lamps are more subdued, but the protruding lip spoiler comes across as slightly overwrought and a bit awkward. A choice of or inch wheels — depending on spec — fill the barely blistered fenders and include one busy, multi-spoke option and another ten-spoke set reminiscent of the hoops fitted to our long-term TDI Street Cup.
Viewed in profile, there's not much to catch your eye aside from two subtle creases that run the length of the sides, but the rakish rear gives off the air of a Volkswagen Phaeton at three-quarters scale and the taillights are very Audi -esque — no surprise considering this is a Walter de'Silva joint, the man whose pen headed Audi design from — The SEL badges on our tester look cramped on the trunk, but the inverted heated side mirrors are both attractive and aggressive, complete with integrated turn signals.
The Jetta's overall demeanor comes across as a blend of European subtlety and some American arrogance, and there's an overarching sense of penny-pinching that extends from the exterior all the way to the inside. The multifunction steering wheel can still be had with a leather wrap SE with the Convenience , but the spoke materials have cheapened. To make matters worse, the same Playskool-grade plastic coats nearly every surface you touch, from the dash to the doors and covering the center console, instrument panel surround and various trim bits.
The climate controls have been reworked and not for the better, exchanging the heavy solidity of the previous model for knobs and buttons that feel two grades below what's currently on offer. And the console-mounted push-button start is laughably contrived, coming off as an afterthought both in placement and execution. And it's not all bad. The elongated wheelbase Specifically, those confined to the rear quarters enjoy an additional 2.
View More. Thank You Thanks for subscribing. There was nothing wrong with that, as the original hot hatch has always been a highly respected set of wheels.
The latest Jetta, however, charts a very different path — riding on its own platform and now getting the size it has always needed.
The Jetta stretches 4, millimetres from bumper to bumper, making it the longest Jetta ever by 74 mm over its predecessor. It also stands 1, mm tall and 1, mm wide, which creates a cavernous cabin.
Slip into the rear seat and the mm stretch to the wheelbase now 2, mm is almost exclusively dedicated to the rear occupants. Behind the rear seats is one of the largest trunks in the segment — at You see, if anything rolls up against the back seat, one is left with little dignity after climbing in to retrieve said object.
As for content, the Jetta can be ordered with as little or as much as the potential owner desires. However, two things are absent from the otherwise well-conceived ride. First, automatic headlights are pretty much standard on most new cars, but not on the Jetta. Second, even after upgrading to the navigation system, there is no backup camera.
Nits aside, what really impressed me was the quality of the interior materials and the manner in which they are fashioned. The Jetta is easily the class of the segment and a rival for many Audi interiors the best there is for my money. The larger platform also pays dividends in the handling department. Certainly, purists will suggest the adoption of a twist beam rear axle is a regressive move. In reality, it makes little or no difference to the manner in which the Jetta attacks a corner.
It is balanced and then some. Three very different engines power the Jetta. The base 2. Move up to the 2. Sure, it only makes hp, but that matters not a whit. The beauty of the power delivery is that there is no turbo lag whatsoever, which means that the slightest stab at the accelerator pedal yields an instant reaction.
Mat the pedal and the TDI scoots to kilometres an hour in just 8. What makes the powertrain all the sweeter is the optional direct-shift gearbox — "twin clutch" to use the vernacular. It is as good as any transmission gets. I liked the past Jetta despite its compact nature.
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