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11/12/2011, 17:12
Car Review By MURRAY HUBBARD
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Car of the Year Awards are always contentious but we were pleased to see the Volkswagen 118TSI Jetta take out the award for best sedan under $50,000 in the awards as judged by Australia’s peak motoring organisations. Pleased because at the same time the car was being judged we were enjoying the 1.4 litre 118TSI Jetta as our weekly road test/review vehicle.
In reality the award - certainly to us - came as no surprise. We were reluctant to hand the car back to the people at VW, but did so as we hopped into the following week’s car, also a Volkswagen Jetta but this time with a 2.0 turbo diesel engine and automatic DSG transmission. Having driven an automatic car for years my wife is often reluctant to get behind the wheel of a manual. But, once in the small-engined Jetta thoughts of an auto quickly disappeared. This car is a dream to drive. The best news is the $26,490 starting price.
What is most remarkable about the award-winning VW Jetta is that it is unremarkable. It simply does everything a car should do on or about the 9 to 10 out of 10 mark. It does not stand out in a crowd, it is not fast, nor is it super-luxury. But when you hop into the driver’s seat it becomes obvious after a few kilometres that Jetta does everything very,very well. Jetta variants are offered with three engine options: two petrol and one direct injection diesel.
BODY STYLE
Previous Jettas have been based on the Golf platform but new Jetta is a stand-alone vehicle, no longer a Golf with a boot added. This allowed designers to work on the proportions with the new Jetta 190 mm longer, the wheelbase 55mm longer and track 3mm wider. Despite the larger proportions Jetta is 15 to 69 kg lighter. The bonnet is now longer and despite the boot having small-looking exterior proportions it hides a substantial cargo area of 510 litres which will swallow a family-size number of suitcases and soft luggage. Jetta 118TSI has a clean profile with a shoulder-line going from headlamp to tail light adding a sophisticated appearance to a sedan body. It sits on 16 inch wheels.
POWERTRAIN
We tested two of the three available powertrains, the supercharged and turbocharged 1.4 litre four cylinder in the entry-level Jetta hooked up to a six-speed manual transmission and the 2.0 litre turbo-diesel in the top of the line Jetta highline. The 1.4 petrol develops 118 kW of power and 240 Nm of torque. The 2.0 litre turbo-diesel has 147 kW of power and 280 Nm of torque, run through a six speed DSG auto transmission. The 1.4 litre comes with a 6-speed manual transmission or optional 7-speed DSG, with 6 and 7 speed DSG available with the turbo-diesel and the larger, 2.0 litre turbo petrol power plant. Out of the petrol engine/manual transmission coupling we had consumption figures of almost 8.0 litres/100 km, above VW’s combined claim of 6.5 litres/100 km. This particular week was heavy with suburban commuting. The following week in the 2.0 litre turbo-diesel/DSG transmission we had little urban motoring, but completed two return trips to Brisbane. The consumption was an impressive 4.4 litres/100 km in just over 300 km.
SAFETY
In September Jetta was awarded the European NCAP five star safety rating irrespective of the height of the driver or front seat passenger. Jetta is equipped with six airbags including front and rear side curtain airbag. Jetta has stability control, traction control, ABS brakes, brake assist. Particularly useful in the manual Jetta is hill start control which stops the car from rolling backwards when starting in first gear on a grade. Jetta also has daytime running lights and front safety-optimised head restraints.
INTERIOR DESIGN/FUNCTIONALITY
Jetta is one of those cars that the moment you get into the driver’s pew you feel at home. Everything is where it should be and it is easy and convenient. Your left hand falls naturally on the gear lever, audio buttons are on the steering wheel, and in the instrument binnacle the two main dials - speedometer and tachometer - are either side of a digital read-out for economy and trip computer. There are lots of storage spaces, drink holders and all seats are supportive and comfortable. The air-con has dust and pollen filter.
There is plenty of leg and head room for rear seat passengers although shoulder room for three adults would be pushing a friendship. We really like the boot space in Jetta which takes this VW into being an option for families looking for a multi-purpose car.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
This is where Volkswagen’s Jetta hooks you. The 1.4 litre Twincharger engine - turbo and supercharged - is a cracker. We took the Jetta up one of the Gold Coast’s longest and steepest roads to Tallai and the 1.4 litre Twincharger ate it for breakfast. The manual gearshifter is smooth to change and the gears well-mated to the engine’s performance. Yes, there are regular gear changes, but this transmission is sooooo good it’s a pleasure changing cogs.
As a family sedan Jetta is not expected to handle like a sports car, but it does a really good impression, hanging on to the tar exceptionally well with little fuss. The seats are supportive and comfortable for the long haul drives on holidays. We like the simplicity of the cabin with it’s high degree of functionality. Most of all though we like the Jetta because it does everything so effortlessly well. Anyone in the market for a small to mid-size sedan should add Jetta 118TSI to the test list. You won’t be disappointed.
MODEL RANGE AND PRICING*
Jetta 1.4 118TSI manual $26,490
Jetta 1.4 118TSI Comfortline auto $32,490
Jetta 2.0 147TSI Highline auto $37,990
Jetta 2.0 103TDI Comfortline $34,990
(*Pricing does not include dealer or government charges)
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: standard
Air Conditioning: standard
Automatic Transmission: optional DSG
CD Player: standard
Central Locking: standard
Cruise Control: standard
Dual Front Airbags: standard
Front Side Airbags: standard
Stability Control: standard
Traction Control: standard
SPECIFICATIONS (118TSI)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.390 litres
Configuration: in-line
Compression Ratio: 10:1
Bore/Stroke: 76.5 mm x 75.6 mm
Maximum Power: 118 kW @ 5800 rpm
Maximum Torque: 240 Nm @ 1500 - 4000 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: front
Manual Transmission: 6-speed
Automatic Transmission: 7-speed DSG
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4744 mm
Wheelbase: 2633 mm
Width: 1778 mm
Height: 1473 mm
Turning Circle: 11.1 metres
Kerb Mass: 1317 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 55 litres
Towing Ability: kg (kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts with lower A-arms
Rear Suspension: Independent,four-link with coil springs
Front Brakes: ventilated discs
Rear Brakes: discs
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 8.3 seconds
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: Premium unleaded 95 RON minimum
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 6.5 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 7.5/10
Air Pollution Rating: 7.5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
3 years/ unlimited km |
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