 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Click image to enlarge |
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2010 Volkswagen Jetta
Introduction
Ottawa, Ontario – Last winter, our Bring It On! series focused on a number of all-wheel drive-equipped vehicles and how the different models and their various AWD systems dealt with winter’s worst.
This year, we’re taking a different approach, as Volkswagen has graciously provided us with a 2010 Jetta TDI Clean Diesel to drive through the winter. This long-term test is less about traction, then, and more an effort to dispel some of the misconceptions that surround diesel engines and winter driving, namely that diesels are hard to live with in cold weather.
Historically, diesel engines have had a reputation for being hard to start in sub-zero temperatures, and for the fuel’s tendency to “gel” when the weather gets chilly. Diesels were also known for generating smelly, smoky black exhaust and providing lackluster performance compared to gasoline engines. Diesel engine technology has come a long way in the last decade or so – our goal, then, is to determine what, if any, compromises a diesel-powered vehicle forces on its driver over the course of a typical Canadian winter.
 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Click image to enlarge |
The car we’re using for this test is a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta Highline TDI Clean Diesel fitted with VW’s DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) transmission. This twin-clutch tranny, which is technically a sequentially-shifting manual with automatic controls, is now the only “automatic” available on the Jetta, as for 2010 it replaces the traditional auto-box that was paired with the Jetta’s base, 2.5-litre engine in 2009. The Jetta is only available as a sedan for 2010, with the wagon version offered in 2009 having been shuffled into the redesigned Golf lineup.
The Jetta’s TDI (turbocharged direct injection) diesel engine has the lowest horsepower rating (140) of any of the model’s three engines, but it makes up for that in the more-important torque department. Here, the TDI spins out 236 lb-ft of torque from 1,750 to 2,500 rpm, compared to 177 lb-ft from the 2.5-litre five-cylinder, and the 207 lb-ft generated by the 2.0-litre, turbocharged gasoline engine.
 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Click image to enlarge |
My understanding of the automotive diesel market is that most drivers who choose diesels do so primarily for their lower fuel consumption. Natural Resources Canada’s figures for the Jetta TDI with the DSG are 6.7/4.6 L/100 km (city/highway); not quite hybrid territory (a typical hybrid’s city and highway consumption numbers tend to be quite similar, owing to the ability to run on electricity alone at lower speeds, or on a combination of gasoline and electric power). So while a gently-driven hybrid can quite possibly (and probably) do better in city driving, a diesel might appeal to drivers who want an efficient car with a manual transmission (all current hybrids have either CVT or eCVT transmissions that do all the work involved with putting power to pavement), or simply a car with a more conventional powertrain.
 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Click image to enlarge |
In the Jetta model hierarchy, the TDI is positioned as a step up from the base five-cylinder gas engine; the least expensive Jetta TDI Trendline trim costs $24,475, or $2,300 more than a 2.5 Trendline. Our TDI Highline carries the highest base price in the Jetta lineup, starting at $30,875. Adding $1,400 for the DSG transmission and $1,365 for freight bumps the bottom line to $33,640.
After a week of driving, I’m so far impressed with the Jetta’s comfort and nice on-road manners. The Pirelli Winter Carving winter tires have already proven themselves in the aftermath of a 25-centimetre snowfall in Ottawa.
Next time, I’ll have more to report on how the Jetta’s diesel engine handles cold-weather starts, and I’ll outline some of the key differences between diesel and gasoline engines, and VW’s Clean Diesel technology.
