18 Aug 05
Compared to the old Bora, the new Jetta is a significant 178mm longer and 46mm wider. The boot, complete with full-sized spare, packs 72 litres more capacity than the old car's, and the rear seats are 60/40 folding items. The new car claims to be 15 percent stiffer than the old, which itself wasn't exactly a strip of limp linguine.
From launch, the Jetta will be offered with a full range of engines. Petrols include the 115bhp 1.6 FSI, 150bhp 2.0-litre FSI, 200bhp 2.0-litre turbo FSI. Diesels will include the 105bhp 1.9-litre TDI, the 140bhp 2.0-litre TDI (expected to be the most popular engine in the UK) and 170bhp 2.0-litre TDI. Volkswagen hasn't yet decided whether to offer the 4-MOTION four-wheel drive transmission already available in the unbooted Golf. Frankly, that'll depend on how many people actually ask for it.
A five-speed manual is standard, with a six-speed optional on lower range models. We can tell you right now, though, that the sweetest possible combination for the Jetta is the 140bhp 2.0-litre TDI mated to the brilliant (and optional) DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox). Try this automatic gearbox once and you'll be spoiled for any other conventional auto-shifter. And it is particularly well suited to diesel, dealing with the torque between shifts in a smooth and seamless way that is quite possibly the best we've experienced. The manual shift function works brilliantly, too, and it'll even match the revs to road speed as you downshift, which will make you feel like a real pro.
