Opening
2011 Volkswagen New Jetta: First Drive
Volkswagen had got the Jetta on Indian shores in 2009. The D segment where the Volkswagen’s Jetta has been pitched is already crowded with mighty players like Chevrolet’s Cruze, Skoda’s Laura and Toyota’s Altis among others.
Recently launched, the New Volkswagen Jetta is an upgrade from the existing version and was speculated to be launched with a face change among other changes to be incorporated, which also included a higher performance engine.
The first look of the New Volkswagen Jetta makes you realize that it has gone under the designer scissors very aggressively. Indeed, Jetta's body lines and overall design theme are an extension of all the present generation Volkswagen cars.
The New Jetta comes in three variants viz., Trendline, Comfortline and Highline.
We take a first look at the 2011 Volkswagen New Jetta and figure out all the changes that Volkswagen has introduced other then the visual treatment.
Appearance Exterior
The New Volkswagen Jetta has been aggressively redesigned compared to its predecessor. Whenever any automobile manufacturer decides to refresh the looks of the car, it is often seen that the headlight design faces the scissor first in the front profile of a car and the same philosophy has been followed in the New Volkswagen Jetta as well.
The New Jetta features new design halogen head lights which not only is a visual change but also promises to be of great utility too. The razor sharp designed headlight with a sleek look gives a smart front profile. The headlights have a lower lining of daytime running lights. The round VW logo sits symmetrically on the twin chrome radiator grille running between the headlights. The fog lamps are placed in oval matte black inserts affixed on the lower line of the front bumper.
The flat head front hood along with the windshield makes the car look wider in profile from front. The side profile of the new Volkswagen Jetta is designed in a smart way to give it an executive look. The 205/55 R16 tyres clubbed with Atlanta as well as the Navarra alloy wheels boast of anti-theft wheel bolts give a smart profile. The bigger profile tyres makes the front fender wheel arch occupy a major space in the side profile of the car.
The ORVM has also been improved with a new design. It can be electrically adjusted from inside. The front and rear doors are claimed to be wider and built of a stronger material still opening and closing them is not a task at all. On the contrary they open very wide to facilitate easy entry and exit in the cabin. The window panes are in sync with the overall design and run across the side complementing the overall aerodynamic design of the car.
Fuel Lid is located on the straight shoulder line running throughout the side profile. The rear profile has been updated with new design two part tail lamps. One part is on the body and the other part is affixed on the tail door. The massive VW chrome logo sits on the tail door followed by chrome syllables JETTA and 2.0 TDI on either sides of the tail respectively.
The twin chrome plated exhaust pipes conclude the rear profile very well. The 2011 Volkswagen New Jetta comes in 6 color options which are our Candy White, Reflex Silver Metallic, Toffee Brown Metallic, Deep Black Pearl Effect, Platinum Grey Metallic, and Silver Leaf Metallic.
Appearance Interior
Volkswagen has always been known as a car maker that concentrates on the luxury comfort levels of their cars to a great extent. Get inside the new Jetta and you can smell the changes that have been done in the interiors of this new ride. The USP of the interiors is the best in line comfort and seating position provided.
The seats are wider and are enriched with fantastically stitched premium leather upholstery. Lumbar support, length adjust, seat incline, height adjustment as well as adjustable head restraints complement the seats. There is a 12 way electrical arrangement for the seats for adjusting each and every position of the seats.
A rake and length adjustable firm gripped 3 spoke steering wheel with centrally placed VW logo has audio controls mounted on it. The 6 speed DSG automatic version has paddle shifts mounted on the steering wheel.The instrumental cluster is ergonomically designed and can be seen without any obstruction through the wide space in the steering wheel. The instrument cluster gives all the relevant information on Odometer, Tachometer, Tripmeter, Fuel, ABS and doors.
The driver door trim provides controls for windows as well as ORVM adjustment. The centre console has a RCD 510 6½inch touch screen music system affixed in it with SD memory card slot, external adaptor cable for other source and AUX IN option for portable players. The Highline variant gets the touch screen operation for the central infotainment system.
The manual gear shifter is clad in leather for the sporty touch. The AC vents are positioned at the optimum positions to ensure adequate cooling of the cabin. There is ample legroom and headroom for all the passengers seated inside the cabin. A major contributor for this merit is the extended wheelbase of the new avatar compared to the earlier version.
The safety options provided in the New Jetta are Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), ABS, Drivers and passenger Airbags (with Side passenger Airbag deactivation), Curtain airbags for front and Side passengers, Engine Immobilizer, ISOFIX points and Seatbelts with pretensioners.
Storage options in the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta are many, the front glove box has been provided with a document holder. The glove box has been graciously designed with wooden trims on it. The door trims have inserts for holding water bottles, magazines and their likes. Coat hanger hooks are provided on the rear pillars.Just above the IRVM, it the storage option for sunglasses. The recess under the central armrest provides space for mundane storage. The same goes for the armrest for the rear passenger which also provides storage for 2 cups along with some documents.
The central armrest also provides an easy access to the rear storage department. The luggage space is a generous 510litres and if the rear seats are split in the 60:40 ratio, VW claims the luggage space can be still increased.
Performance Drive
The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta offers improved drive quality compared to its predecessor. The NVH levels are comparatively lower. The increased dimension of the new version doesn’t create any hurdle in maneuvering the vehicle. The Park assist sensors guide you thoroughly while parking the car or driving out of a cramped parking. The turning radius is a mighty 5.5 meters which is close to what many hatchbacks offer in the country.
The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta comes with a 4 Cylinder, In-line CR, Turbocharged Diesel Engine. The mill produces a peak power of 140PS at 4200 rpm and a torque of 320Nm at 1750-2500 rpm. The fuel efficiency for the 2011 Volkswagen New Jetta is 19.33 kmpl and 16.96 kmpl for 6 speed manual and 6 speed DSG automatic transmissions respectively. Driving the New Jetta is indeed a pleasure. You can play through the manual shifts or shuffle the paddle shifts with great ease. The increased dimensions are very nicely compensated with the driving assist. The steering feels a lot crisper and the short and precise maneuvers are very easy to be executed.
Reaching triple digits is not a task at all. The top whacks are 210 km/h and 208 km/h for the manual and the automatic transmission options respectively. The ABS gets the car to a standstill abruptly but without any panic situation. The New Jetta has a ground clearance of 139mm, which has to be taken care of when taking the car over a bump or a ditch.
Tech Specs
| Technical Specifications | ||
| Make | Volkswagen | |
| Model | Jetta | |
| Variant | Trendline, Comfortline, Highline | Highline DSG |
| Engine Capacity (L) | 1968/4 | 1968/4 |
| Fuel | Diesel | Diesel |
| Power (PS) | 140ps(103KW)@4200 rpm | 140ps(103KW)@4200 rpm |
| Torque (Nm) | 320@1750-2500rpm | 320@1750-2500rpm |
| Gears | 6 speed manual | 6-Speed autotronic DSG |
| Dmensions in MM | ||
| Groud clearence | 139 | 139 |
| Length | 4644 | 4644 |
| Width | 1778 | 1778 |
| Height | 1453 | 1453 |
| Wheel Base | 2633 | 2633 |
| Claimed fuel efficiency (kmpl) | 16 | 16 |
| Tyre size | 205/55 R16 | 205/55 R16 |
| Price List | Exshowroom Price (Rs.) | Onroad Price (Rs.) |
| Trendline | 1431232 | 1757967 |
| Comfortline | 1572589 | 1930805 |
| Highline | 1729152 | 2122934 |
| Highline DSG | 1810219 | 2121354 |
Features
| Features | Trendline | Comfortline | Highline | Highline DSG |
| Body coloured exterior door handles and mirrors | Yes | No | No | No |
| Full size spare wheel(Steel wheel) | Yes | No | No | No |
| 16" "navarra"alloy wheels(set of 4) | Yes | No | No | No |
| Lockable and illuminated glove compartment | Yes | No | No | No |
| Fabric seat upholstery | Yes | No | No | No |
| Disc brakes front and rear | Yes | No | No | No |
| Side airbags front | Yes | No | No | No |
| Front seat with height adjustment | Yes | No | No | No |
| Day time running lights | No | Yes | No | No |
| Dual exhaust pipes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Rear fog lights | No | Yes | No | No |
| Rear AC Vents | yes | Yes | No | No |
| Chrome interior package | No | Yes | No | No |
| 60:40 split folding rear seat back rest, | No | Yes | No | No |
| Electronic stability program | No | Yes | No | No |
| including ABS with brake asst,ASR,EDL | No | Yes | No | No |
| Hill hold control | No | Yes | No | No |
| Shark fin diversity antena | No | No | Yes | No |
| Front fog light | No | No | Yes | No |
| 16" "Atlanta"alloy wheels(set of 4) | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Auto dimming inetrior mirror | No | No | Yes | No |
| Multifunction display"plus" | No | No | Yes | No |
| ISOFIX Points | No | No | Yes | No |
| Engine and transmission guard | No | No | Yes | No |
| Driver and front passanger airbag, | No | No | Yes | No |
| with passanger airbag deactivation | No | No | Yes | No |
| Mobile device interface,MEDIA-IN | No | No | Yes | No |
| adapter cable in glove compartment | No | No | Yes | No |
| Paddle shift on steering wheel for DSG transmission | No | No | Yes | No |
| Cruise control | No | No | Yes | No |
| Chrome finish on front air dam | No | No | No | Yes |
| Decorative chrome strip on side windows | No | No | No | Yes |
| Front fog light | No | No | No | Yes |
| Front center arm rest with storage box | No | No | No | Yes |
| Leatherette upholstery | No | YES | No | Yes |
| Disc brakes front and rear | No | No | No | Yes |
| Electronic engine immobiliser | No | No | No | Yes |
| Central locking with two remote control folding keys | No | No | No | Yes |
| climatic airconditioner | No | No | No | Yes |
| RCD 510 touch screen music system with MP3 player | No | No | No | Yes |
| icluding 6 CD Changer,SD card reader,AUX-IN & 8 speakers | No | No | No | Yes |
Competition All Specs
| Specifications |
Volkswagen
New Jetta |
Chevrolet
Cruze |
Skoda
Laura |
Renault
Fluence |
| Variant | Highline | LTZ | Ambiente | Diesel |
| Fuel | Diesel | Diesel | Diesel | Diesel |
| Enine capacity | 2.0L | 2.0 L | 2.0 L | 1.5 L |
| Power in PS | 140 | 150 | 110 | 106 |
| Torque in NM | 320 | 327 | 250 | 240 |
| Transmission | 6/M | 5/M | 5/M | 6/M |
| Fuel efficiency Average | 16 | 17 | 13 | 21 |
| Length | 4644 | 4597 | 4569 | 4618 |
| Width | 1778 | 1788 | 1769 | 1813 |
| Height | 1453 | 1477 | 1485 | 1488 |
| Wheel base | 2633 | 2685 | 2578 | 2703 |
| Ground clearence | 139 | 165 | 164 | 170 |
| Tyre size | 205/55 R16 | 205/60 R16 | 195/65 R15 | 205/60 R16 |
| Safety features | 6 Airbags,ABS,etc | ABS,Dual airbags,Emergency exit systems | ABS,Dual airbags | ABS,Dual airbags |
| Upholstery | Leather upholstery | Monotone titanium jet black | Shadow Ivory | Premium Fabric |
| Ex Show room price Bangalore in lakhs | 17.29 | 12.19 | 14.3 | 13.02 |
Conclusion
Globally Volkswagen is seen as a premium luxury automaker. It has the Skoda brand under its umbrella among many other brands. The Jetta faces a stiff rival in the form of Skoda Laura, Chevrolet Cruze and others.
The refreshed look of the car deserves appreciation. It’s not just a visual treatment but a complete overhaul from its earlier version. The design cues which are a part of the present generation Volkswagen theme act as a pro as well as con for the new Jetta. The negative aspect of the design is its striking resemblance with comparatively lower priced Vento. The first glance of the car can mistake you for the Vento, though when seen properly one can differentiate the characteristics.
The New 2011 Volkswagen Jetta is surely a refreshing change in the D segment but will this bring a refreshing change in the sales registers of Volkswagen as well is something to watch out for.
