It’s foreign, but the accent is hard to place
IT WAS conceived in Germany. The United States and Canada contributed 11 per cent of its parts. Mexico gave 40 per cent — including its turbocharged 1.8litre in-line four- cylinder petrol engine.
Japan sent the six- speed automatic transmission, which also can be operated manually. The whole thing subsequently was assembled in Puebla, Mexico, and shipped to the United States as the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta SEL sedan.
VW used a formula being used more and more: outsource engineering and parts production to proven and highly competent — but lower- cost — foreign partners. Assemble in a hungry-for-work, competent, low-wage environment. Deliver a fully equipped 2014 Jetta SEL sedan to target markets for US$ 27,345 ( RM90,000) — thousands of dollars below what many European, Japanese and North American rivals charge for a similarly equipped automobile.
Car companies’ main concern is making money, which they can do by delivering a product to as many consumers as possible with the content and pricing those people fi nd attractive. In 2011, VW tried to price the Jetta more attractively by stripping content. That worked for consumers who don’t care about turning in fast acceleration times, diving into corners on sharp turns, or doing the other mostly silly things that capture the fancy of too many people who review automobiles.
Most consumers want a safe, reliable, reasonably fuelefficient car at what they deem a good price, and that is what they get in the new Jetta SEL. The turbocharged (forced air) direct-injection engine is new for 2014, and with 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque it easily outclasses the normally aspirated 2-litre four- cylinder gasoline engine (115 horsepower, 125 pound-feet of torque) still being used in the base and S versions of the Jetta sedan. The upper versions of the Jetta — SE, SEL and TDI — now come with interiors featuring high- quality materials, attractive design and sensible layout in addition to desirable options such as seat heat and onboard navigation.
All of the Jetta models mentioned will get you to where you want to go safely, reliably, and easily within the posted speed limits of most local, state and national highways and byways.
I don’t care where it comes from. The Jetta SEL gets a “buy” here.— WP-Bloomberg