Drivers can take their pick of Jetta powertrains
VW’s most popular model is bigger, better
Since its introduction for 2011, Volkswagen’s current Jetta compact sedan has been very good to the German automaker. The idea of a roomy, well-equipped, semipremium German-badged car in a segment full of bland, mainstream rivals has gone down well with buyers — the once-niche Jetta has become Volkswagen’s best selling model in the world, with sales of more than 900,000 copies last year.
Volkswagen has been constantly tweaking and upgrading the front-wheel-drive, five-passenger Jetta four-door along the way. Old school VW fans have whined about the new-age Jetta’s designed-to-cost strategy. The return of the sporty GLI model a couple of years ago helped, but for 2014, a new turbocharged mill and an independent rear suspension have replaced the funky fivecylinder gas engine and solid-axle rear suspension.
One of the reasons for the Jetta’s popularity is its plethora of powertrains. Want a Jetta on the cheap? There’s the $17,190 Jetta Trendline (all prices include freight and pre-delivery inspection fees) base model and its prehistoric, 115-horsepower “two-point-slow” gas four-cylinder. Want diesel? Go for the $25,985 Jetta TDI. Prefer a hybrid to save fuel? There’s also the $32,495 Jetta Turbo Hybrid. Want a sedan version of the GTI sports compact? Go for the aforementioned $29,685 Jetta GLI. Sitting in the middle of the lineup is my tester: the new-for-2014 $26,885 Jetta 1.8 TSI. With an optional six-speed automatic transmission replacing the standard five-speed manual, and top-level Highline trim package, my example came to $29,855.
Following the trend of employing engines with smaller displacement, fewer cylinders and forced air induction, the Jetta TSI’s (that’s Turbo Stratified Injection, with leaner fuel-air mixture and uses less fuel) new 1.8-litre turbocharged gas four makes the same 170 hp as the outgoing, normally aspirated 2.5L five-cylinder. However, torque has increased by seven to 184 pound-feet and arrives earlier in the rev range at 1,500 rpm, compared to 2,750 in the 2.5.
The new mill also puts the Jetta TSI right there with its two biggest compact sedan rivals for 2014: the 184 hp and 185 lb-ft Mazda3 GT and the 173 hp and 154 lb-ft Kia Forte SX.
The new turbo 1.8 also makes the Jetta TSI a bit quicker and bit more frugal than with the older five-cylinder engine. With the autobox, the run from zero to 100 kilometres per hour is now a halfsecond quicker at 8.5 seconds, while fuel economy improves from 9.1 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 6.5 on the highway to 8.2 and 5.6, respectively. In my week with the VW sedan, I saw an average of 8.8 L/100 km. Keep in mind, the more powerful Mazda is rated at an even more impressive 7.2 L/100 km city and 5.1 highway.
The Volkswagen Jetta has always been about value. Swapping out the older five-cylinder for the torquier and more fuel-efficient 1.8 TSI engine, and adding the new multi-link rear suspension for about the same money, makes the new 2014 Jetta TSI’s value equation even better.