First Drive: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta

2011 Volkswagen Jetta. Click image to enlarge

The good news continues inside the Jetta, with generous shoulder room and impressive rear legroom. The trunk — always a Jetta strength — is huge. At 440 litres (15.5 cu. ft.) it exceeds competitors like the Honda Civic and Mazda3 by 100 litres. It is equivalent in volume to the trunk of the midsize 2011 Hyundai Sonata, which has one of the largest in that segment.

Instruments are clear white on black, easy to read and give the impression of precision and quality. Controls are sensibly arranged, easily reached and simple to operate. Interior fit and finish of the Highline model is reminiscent of the excellent Audi interiors: functional, not gaudy, somewhat minimalist. However, one person’s minimalist is another’s basic, and I wouldn’t want to see much less in the lower-priced models.

Criticisms are few, but they include the inconsistent performance of the navigation system which seems located too low in the centre stack, doesn’t verbalize street names in its instructions, and was sometimes slow to provide those instructions.

Volkswagen has finally relented and supplied a lever instead of the European-style knob for seatback adjustment. Some may cheer; others will lament the lack of precision in the lever action.

The interior door panels seem to be something of a plastic expanse, and the big trunk hinges are somewhat incongruous, as opposed to space-saving, better and more expensive struts. Available only with a black interior in the 2.0L cars, a smart two-tone black/beige interior is available in most 2.5L and TDI cars.

Regarding the exterior design, it seems a little less identifiable as a Volkswagen to me, although after seeing the car on the road for a while, that may change. The outgoing grille was only recently being presented as the future face of Volkswagen, but that face is already abandoned in favour of a plainer version with a headlamp style that is arguably more commonplace. The vehicle profile surely reminds one of an Audi, and the rear lights seem to copy those of the Audi A4. These are not objectionable shapes by any means, but it does tend to blur the distinction between the two marques.

2011 Volkswagen Jetta. Click image to enlarge

The 2.5L engine is powerful and smooth, but the five-speed manual transmission requires constant shifting to maintain speed in hilly terrain, with fifth a dedicated overdrive gear, and fourth not offering much torque either. The six-speed automatic is fine transmission with almost imperceptible shifts, but does seem sluggish off the line unless you apply an aggressive right foot.

I must say that I was mildly disappointed that the 2.0L engine was a carry-over (how else to maintain the low pricing?), as it has been around for many years. Fuel consumption has been reduced by a significant 9.4 per cent, and this engine has useful torque, but my experience is that it can be harsh under acceleration and noisy at speed. Maybe its character changes in the 2011 model, but that is yet to be determined.

What is certain is that the 2011 Jetta with the 2.0L engine will place the car in direct competition with other vehicles in this hotly contested segment, including the Honda Civic, Mazda3, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla. Volkswagens are often considered too expensive (and rightly so) by compact-car buyers, but with this 2011 Jetta that doesn’t have to be the case.

Its big-car utility, sporty handling and German engineering should be sufficient to win additional buyers to the Volkswagen brand, although personally, you’d have a hard time prying me away from a Golf. However, sedans are indeed the popular choice.

Fuel consumption is as follows: