Background: Curiosity seekers bent over backward during a week-long Volkswagen Beetle test drive last spring. Thumbs up, a familiar site during the week, were followed by requests to ease behind the wheel of the uniquely rounded, reintroduced coupe. Volkswagen benefited from miles of favorable press and nostalgic stories generated by the electronic media and written press alike. Our test-drive car this week, Volkswagen's redesigned, front-wheel drive, compact Jetta doesn't carry the same Beetle fanfare. But it does benefit indirectly from Beetlemania through increased traffic patterns at Volkswagen dealers. Shoppers who stop by and ogle the Bug inevitably pass by Jetta displays. The 1999 incarnation represents Jetta's fourth generation and its first redesign in five years. Even though its 1.1 inches shorter than the 1998 offering, Jetta's wheelbase grows by 1.5 inches while increasing slightly in length and width. Jetta's exterior, now a bit more rounded in back, projects a classy, yet unobtrusive demeanor. Fourth-generation Jettas began trickling into dealers last fall. Jetta comes exclusively as a four-door sedan. Coupe shoppers get directed to the mechanically similar two-door Golf. In fact, the popular Beetle shares mechanical characteristics with the Golf/Jetta platform. The compact two-door Golf is the best selling car in Europe. Volkswagen ranks as Germany's largest automaker, and the world's fourth biggest behind only General Motors, Ford and Toyota. Volkswagen assembles Jetta in Mexico and expects to generate 100,000 unit sales in the United States during the 1999 calendar year.
Safety equipment: Dual front air bags, side-impact air bags, anti-lock brakes, child-safety rear door locks, side-impact side door beams, crumple zones, daytime running lights and an ignition disability system come standard with the price of admission. A remote keyless entry system, with a lone master key that retracts out with switch blade action after depressing a key fob button, is also standard. Traction assist comes standard with V-6 engined Jettas.
Trim level: Three distinct Jetta trim levels are available at showrooms: entry-level GL, mid-size GLS and top-of-the-line GLX. Jettas featuring the turbo engine add a 'TDI' designation.
Engine: Jetta offers two gasoline engines: a 115 horsepower, four cylinder powertrain comes standard in GL and GLS while a more spunky, six-cylinder 174-horsepower VR6 comes standard in the top-level GLX. This year marks the arrival of the six-cylinder engine as an option in the mid-level GLS. Volkswagen's mid-size Passat also features the identical VR6 engine. In January, Volkswagen unveiled a diesel turbo engine into Jetta.
Standard equipment: Five-speed manual transmission, electronic rear window defroster, air conditioning , power assist rack-and-pinion steering, tined glass, two-speed windshield wiper, eight-speaker AM/FM cassette and power door locks come standard in all three trim levels. Power windows, power side view mirrors and cruise control, standard in GLS and GLX, are not available in entry-level GL.
Optional equipment: Four-speed automatic transmission and compact disc players comes optional across the board. Power sunroofs, standard in GLX, comes optional in GLS and is not offered in GL.
Price: Volkswagen provided the Daily Herald with a mid-level GLS with manual transmission and the spunky V-6 engine. Starting price checked in at $19,950. After factoring in a $545 destination charge and $1,850 worth of options including leather seating, the bottom line rested at $22,325. An entry-level GL hits the starting gate at approximately $17,200.
Interior: When the sun goes down, the dashboard illuminates with fluorescent blue and red back lighting. Door and dashboard knobs also glow with red hues after dark. The mostly analog instrument panel features a large, right side circular speedometer, a left side circular tachometer and two small half-circle fuel and temperature gauges along the top. Between the speedometer and tachometer situates a square screen where warning lights illuminate if any system misfires. A digital clock is found in the tachometer circle while the digital odometer rests inside the speedometer. The driver's door arm rest, home to power window buttons controlling all four windows, also houses power lock controls. Both remote fuel door and trunk release buttons situate on the lower portion directly ahead of the map pocket, a more smart location than the floor next to the driver's seat where many domestic automakers locate them. Ahead of the small chrome interior door handle is a small circular dial monitoring sideview mirrors. On the black dashboard's far left side, one finds a circular dial controlling front headlights. A long, thin, oval, flip-top arm rest; new in GLS and GLX editions this year, situates between front bucket seats. The turn signal is also home to cruise control functions. Windshield wipers operate from a right-hand side stalk. Dual cup holders retract from the top center of the dashboard above a stereo system with small preset buttons. Three dials control fan speed, direction and temperature below the sounds stereo.
Seating comfort: Drivers with big and tall frames may find Jetta's interior a bit more cozy than some competitors. In back, both headroom and legroom are a bit confining for those over six feet in height. While Volkswagen promotes Jetta as a five seater, two adults ride most comfortably in this compact sedan. The backrest, with a 60/40 split, allows access to the trunk for carting long items, and can be locked shut if desired. Driver's have good perception in all directions with no glaring blind spots. Entry-level GLs include cloth seating while GLS features a velour upholstery. Leather seating, standard in GLX comes optional in GLS.
Exterior: The fourth generation Jetta looks strikingly similar to a scaled down Passat, Volkswagen's noteworthy mid-size sedan. Passat made headlines last month after garnering a top ranking in Consumer Reports magazine's annual ranking of most popular family sedans, ousting Toyota's Camry for the first time in more than a decade. Jetta's square back window and black rooftop whip antenna are traits shared by other Volkswagen cars including the Beetle. The trunk key cylinder, smartly incorporated into the VW logo, above the license plate, creates a clean, keyless look. Body-colored strap-like door handles and rectangular side-view mirrors add to a coordinated look. The square, locking fuel tank door is found on the right side rear quarter panel. The gas cap is not tethered. In front, another centrally located, circular VW logo situates among vertical bars stretching from one side of the front grille to the other. Larger tires represent a change for the better. Jetta now boasts 15-inch tires, replacing 14-inch varieties standard last year. Larger 16-inch varieties are optional in GLX.
Trunk: A full-size spare stows under a flat-floor trunk. For a compact offering, Jetta includes plenty of trunk room measuring 13.0 cubic feet; quite large for its class.
Dimensions: Wheelbase: 98.9 inches Overall length: 172.3 inches Overall width: 68.3 Overall height: 56.9 inches Curb weight: 2,994 pounds
Target market: Jetta purchasers are primarily women (61 percent) with a median age of 29 and a household income of $50,000. Forty-three percent are married while 63 percent are college educated.
Fuel economy: The six-cylinder Jetta gasoline engine coupled with five-speed manual transmission registers 19 miles per gallon in city and 26 m.p.g. highway. The four-cylinder engine coupled with manual transmission reigns as the economy champ with 24 m.p.g. in city driving and 31 m.p.g. on the highway. The tank holds 14.5 gallons of unleaded gasoline.
Final thoughts: Jetta, designed for drivers who enjoy spirited sports driving, takes corners well while gliding over bumps and road imperfections with ease. Our five-speed manual transmission, coupled with the six-cylinder engine, provided quick acceleration. Generous trunk space makes up for rather tight quarters in the back. Volkswagen includes one of the best powertrain warranties on the market at 10 years or 100,000 miles, which ever comes first. Free roadside assistance kicks in for the first two years or 24,000 miles. Jetta's $17,000 starting price tag registers a tad bit higher than domestic compact competitors than Ford Escort or Chevrolet Cavalier which start thousands less. But Volkswagen added more features standard in this fourth-generation offering which accounts in part for price hike. Anti-lock brakes and side-impact air bags are also standard. |
