2008 Volkswagen Jetta
by Steve Schutz, MD
2007 was the
year the
minnow
swallowed the whale, at least in the
German auto industry. That was
when tiny Porsche purchased a
controlling interest in its gigantic
neighbor, Volkswagen AG. It was
probably good for both companies,
frankly. Volkswagen was in the
midst of a strategy that seemed to
be leading them nowhere, and
Porsche’s been on a roll.
The strategy in question, as I see
it, called for Volkswagen to “out-Toyota” Toyota by producing more
affordable but less interesting vehicles
in every market niche, including
minivans. While we can all
agree that Volkswagen shouldn’t be
selling $105,000 12-cylinder
Phaeton sedans, making Corolla
and Camry wannabes probably isn’t
a great idea either. Volkswagens
have always been known for providing
a German driving experience at
a reasonable price, so producing
more vehicles like the GTi and
Passat and fewer like the base
Rabbit seems more logical.
Am I misinterpreting things
here? I don’t think so. Last year
Mercedes outsold VW here for the
first time ever, and — in a sign that
Porsche may be just the company
to run Volkswagen — the Cayenne
outsold its sister SUV, the (much
cheaper) Touareg, 12,547 units to
8,812. It should be two to one the
other way, at least.
But there’s hope. I recently drove the
Jetta GLi Fahrenheit Edition, a car that
represents the best of Volkswagen, and
it was lots of fun. Based on the otherwise
unremarkable Jetta, the GLi adds
the potent engine from the GTi, plus a
long list of other extras that I’ll detail
later. The result is a highly entertaining
family sedan that’s about as un-Camry
like as a car can be.
The special sauce is the engine.
Measuring just 2.0 liters, this turbocharged
four-cylinder pumps out
an eye-opening 200 horsepower,
enough power to propel the GLi from
zero to sixty miles per hour in 6.9 seconds.
Despite the presence of a turbo,
there’s no discernable lag when you
accelerate. And the engine sounds terrific
all the way to the redline, in contrast
with the uninspired sound of the
base Jetta’s inline five-cylinder. The
power is transmitted to the wheels via
either a six-speed manual or optional
dual-clutch DSG automanual gearbox;
my tester had the DSG, a terrific transmission
that I’ve discussed in previous
columns.
The suspension has also been
tweaked on the GLi. Like the GTi, the
GLi has a relatively stiff sport-tuned
suspension, but it manages to stick to
the road in corners without excessive
harshness. Give credit for excellent
handling to a well-sorted chassis and
superb low profile tires.
The GLi’s red brake calipers are
visible through the 18-inch spoked
alloy wheels, and they work very well.
In typical German fashion, the GLi
has great brake feel to go with
authoritative stops.
The Jetta’s design was redone
for the 2006 model year, and it
lost some of the distinctiveness
it used to have. The new Jetta
looks more rounded than it used
to, and it now incorporates the
bulged head- and tail-lights that
have become a VW signature.
However, while slightly bigger
and more aerodynamic than the
last Jetta, the new model is
also more difficult to spot in
a crowd.
Except for striking body color
accents, the GLi Fahrenheit has a
fairly standard issue Jetta interior.
Charcoal is the color of choice
throughout the dash area, and the
buttons and controls are nice but
not spectacular Attractive blue
highlights illuminate the gauges
at night. Overall, the interior is
well-done, but not up to the
benchmark in the family sedan
class, the Camry. This is an area
that Volkswagen used to dominate,
so it’s time for them to raise
their game.
The GLi comes standard with— deep breath — a tire-pressure
monitoring system; power windows,
locks, and mirrors; automatic
dual-zone climate control;
brake-pad wear indicator; premium
AM/FM/MP3 stereo with six-disc
changer and 10 speakers; front and
side air bags; eight-way manually
adjustable sport front seats; and 60/40
split/folding rear seats.
Option packages include power sunroof,
heated front seats and washer
nozzles, and Sirius satellite radio.
The GLi Fahrenheit is a spirited family
sedan with clear German roots, and
that’s a good thing; certainly it’s an
entertaining drive. It’s a reminder that
when VW focuses on what they’ve
always been known for — affordable
German engineering — they succeed.
Now that Porsche’s running the whole
show at Volkswagen, I predict their
vehicles will become more fun and
their sales will improve.
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