2019 Volkswagen Jetta: Everything We Know

-
Volkswagen is about to debut a redesigned version of its bestseller in the United States, the Jetta sedan, for 2019. We’re already driven a preproduction prototype, and now VW let us crawl all over an uncamouflaged car at a private event in New York City. We can only show you these sketches—they’ll pull the drape off the real car in January at the Detroit auto show—but we do have more information to share about the new Jetta.

-
The Jetta has some catching up to do. It finally moves to VW’s MQB platform, following the Golf and its SportWagen/Alltrack variants, as well as the Tiguan and the Atlas SUVs. The seventh-generation Jetta grows nearly two inches longer and about an inch wider, although in person it appears even larger. As these sketches indicate, the grille has become wider and is pushed forward of the headlights. Those headlights are outlined with C-shaped LEDs, and the taillights also have LED elements. In the profile view, the C-pillars now incorporate quarter-windows like on the Passat, while the rear door glass is a single pane. A long, body-side crease starts on the front fender and extends rearward through the door handles, along the rear quarter-panels, and into the taillights. The rear styling treatment also echoes the Passat, with the upper half of the trunklid extending beyond the lower section. All these elements help make the car look wider and longer.

-


-
VW’s turbocharged 1.4-liter inline-four makes a return engagement but the 1.8-liter turbo does not. Nor will the 2.0-liter turbo return, at least for a while, as the GLI version will trail the arrival of the other models by as much as a year.

-
The 1.4’s output is expected to be 150 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. It should have a slightly easier job, as VW claims the car is about 90 pounds lighter. A manual transmission remains available, and it’s a six-speed rather than a five-speed, but it’s restricted to the base S model. An eight-speed torque-converter automatic—in place of the current six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic—is optional on the S and standard on the rest of the lineup. That lineup shrinks to four models: S, SE, SEL, and SEL Premium; the Wolfsburg and SE Sport are dropped. The Jetta reverts to a torsion-beam rear axle, but it retains four disc brakes and electrically assisted power steering. The standard wheels are 16 or 17 inches depending on trim.

-


-
The car we sat in was an SEL. It had a 12.3-inch TFT instrument cluster—Volkswagen’s Digital Cockpit that also is available on the Tiguan and Atlas—which will be available starting with the SE trim. It also had an 8.0-inch center touchscreen; base cars get a 6.5-inch unit. In addition to heated front seats, ventilated front seats are newly available on the SEL and SEL Premium, and the Premium also gets heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel. The branded audio system switches from Fender to Beats. In some trims, the new Jetta has selectable driving modes: Eco, Normal, Sport, and Custom. All Jettas get forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking (VW’s Front Assist). Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control all return.

-

• 
  -
• 2018 Volkswagen Jetta Tested in Depth!
  -
• Prototype Drive: 2019 Volkswagen Jetta
  -
• Volkswagen Jetta: Pricing, Specs, Reviews, and More!
  -

-
Once again built in low-cost Puebla, Mexico, the Jetta exhibits further signs of cost-cutting. On the SEL we saw, the rear door panels were hard plastic and lack the strip of trim seen in the front, there was only one seatback map pocket, and there are no rear-seat A/C vents.

-
When the current-generation Jetta debuted in 2010, it was criticized for its evident cost-cutting; VW ended up having to add content back in. Company executives emphasized the importance of avoiding premium pricing with new models. Clearly they’re trying to find the right balance with the Jetta—simplifying the lineup, adding features that buyers will notice (like the digital dash), while removing some they may not. When the 2019 Jetta goes on sale this spring, we’ll see how well it is received.

-


-

Continue reading...