Volkswagen / Jetta / TDI sedan
Overview
THE Volkswagen Golf has a new sedan brother with a new name – Jetta.
Bigger than the Bora that it supersedes and in possession of a mighty boot to compensate for its lack of hatchback versatility, the Jetta satisfies those not wishing to think beyond conventional sedan design.
The Jetta greets passengers with a measurably more spacious interior than the Bora and accesses that boot via a split-fold backrest so it’s not all that impractical.
And it comes in three versions: the smooth, refined 2.0 FSI, the punchy 2.0 FSI turbo and the enticingly thrifty yet powerful turbo-diesel TDI.
Generally a little more refined than the Golf because that’s the way sedans are, the Jetta extends the VW range and will undoubtedly fill the order books with increasing rapidity.
Model release dates: February 2006 - November 2009
Previous model
That VW sold only 306 Boras in 2005 shows just how forgettable this US-focussed Golf IV sedan was compared to its exciting Asian rivals. Dreary dynamics, laughably high prices and poor marketing masked pleasant styling and a nice cabin. But an 85kW/170Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine lacked the power or grace to justify the lofty positioning. More interesting were the 2.3 V5s (110kW/205Nm until ’01’s 125kW/220Nm upgrade – with a five-speed auto – arrived), along with a 150kW/270Nm 2.8 V6 4Motion mated to a six-speed manual-only gearbox. At least the Bora wasn’t wilfully dumpy like its ungainly ’95-’97 Golf III-derived Vento predecessor.
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 Road test
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