What's in store for the all-new Jetta

In its sixth generation now the Jetta over the past decades has witnessed great international success with over 66 million units having been sold One of the largest selling European cars in the US the midsize sedan is known for its mature design great dynamics and feature rich spacious interior The current generation Jettarsquos midlife facelift made its international debut at the 2014 New York Auto Show The refreshed version of the car was introduced to India some time back We took the car out for a comprehensive road test to assess its abilities Herersquos how it faredPrice Rs 1420 lakh exshowroomExteriorThe Jetta like most of its VW siblings is the handiwork of designers who believe in subtlety and attention to detail Itrsquos an evolved understated design and looks handsome as ever with its wellweighted proportions and clean uncluttered lines VW hasnrsquot tinkered too much with the carrsquos detailing Subtle changes have been made to spruce up the carrsquos appearance without making it look very different from the original sixthgeneration modelReversing camera still missed in the otherwise wellfinished tastefully appointed interiorAs part of the facelift the Jetta gets new bumpers up front and at the rear The front bumper looks significantly different from the old unit and somewhat emulates its counterpart on the Passat a model that sits higher up in the VW food chain The new bumper gets a totally restyled airdam newly designed fog lamps and a new lower lip to add more attitude to the carrsquos face Above the bumper the Jetta gets a new radiator grille with a triad of chrome slats replacing the earlier twin slat unit The grille by itself has gone deeper and the chrome slats now have a bit more space between them The headlamps with LED daytime running lights look similar to the previous units but they arenrsquot in reality The lamps are now sharper and more angular though they still use Xenon units for illumination While the top of the line Highline variant features projectors the lower spec Trendline Comfortline variants get double barrel halogen lampsThe new radiator grille gets a triad of more spaced out chrome slatsEmulating the treatment given to the lamps at the front end the taillamps too have been restyled to look sharper and taper toward the insides to get an Audiesque shape The rear deck lid gets an integrated spoiler which may not be of much use functionally but does manage to add some visual flair The rear bumper has changed too There isnrsquot much difference over the previous unit though look closely and yoursquoll realise that the shape of the reflectors and a couple of mild lines bridging them has changedHeadlamps on the top of the line Highline variant feature Xenon units with projector setup and LED DRLsThe car gets 20555 Rs 16 Goodyear Eagle NCT 5 rubber wrapped around 65J x 16 Sedona wheels for the TrendlineComfortline and 65J x 16 Atlanta wheels for the Highline variants The changes on the new car may not be too obvious but they work to make the new Jetta look slightly more planted and wider We like what we see on the faceliftEngine transmission and performanceThe facelift carries over the engines from its predecessor so essentially therersquos no gain in terms of performance The Jetta comes in both petrol and diesel versions with a 1968 cc inline 4 cylinder common rail turbocharged diesel engine and a 1390 cc inline 4 cylinder turbocharged intercooled petrol powerplant While the former makes 140 PS of maximum power at 4200 rpm along with 320 Nm of maximum torque spread over 17502500 rpm the latter manages 122 PS of maximum power at 5000 rpm while maximum torque is rated at 200 Nm between 1500 to 4000 rpmThe taillamps have been reshaped too and now get an angular design somewhat resembling the tailunits of some Audi carsTransmission options too are similar to the previous version The diesel version comes with a choice of a 6speed manual or a 6speed dual clutch automatic DSG transmission sending power to the front wheelsFor this test we drove the diesel powered Jetta Now the 20 litre TDI diesel is sure a punchy unit but does suffer with some turbo lag Performance from the oil burning unit at low revs isnrsquot too strong though the engine comes into its own once the tacho needle sweeps the 2000 rpm mark Once the turbo spools up nicely you get to experience a proper shove thanks to all of those 320 metric units of twist The relatively less progressive nature of the engine makes driving the manual variant a bit of a chore in the city though it really feels delightful once shown the open roadsEngines remain unchanged and the Jetta continues to be offered with a 20 litre diesel and a 14 litre TSI petrol The Jetta boasts a meaty midrange allowing you to ride a strong wave of torque for solid ingear acceleration The diesel variant is redlined at 5500 revs though the strongest acceleration can be felt between the 2000 ndash 4500 rpm range The engine is also a bit noisier than ideal and could have done with a lesser clatter The 6speed DSG works wonderfully well though Swapping ratios quickly cleanly and intuitively the twin clutch unit brings out the best from the torquey turbo diesel You can choose between the regular D or the enthusiast oriented S mode The Jetta comes equipped with pedal shifters allowing you to make manual shifts without having to take your hands off the steering wheel The ARAI fuel efficiency for the manual transmission variant stands at 1933 kmpl and 1696 kmpl for the DSG automatic Overall the 20 litre diesel engine is a solid performer though it shines like a true gem only when buffed with the silkenDSG autoComfy ribbed back seats with a foldable central arm rest and dedicated AC vents Ride and HandlingVolkswagen prides itself for making cars which manage to blend an absorbent ride and confident handling to a delectable effect The Jetta stands true to the brandrsquos reputation offering a scrumptious mix of absorbent ride and enjoyable dynamics Featuring coil springs up front and a multilink setup at the rear the suspension eats up undulations and pot holes remarkably well While jagged surfaces and minor undulations are dealt with muffled rumbles bigger potholes translate only into a subdued thudElectronic wizardry to negate the stupidities of humanfaced apes includes Electronic Stability Control ESC Electronic Differential Lock EDL Anti Slip Regulation ASR Antilock Braking System ABS with Brake Assist and Hill Hold ControlLike most modern steering units there isnrsquot much feedback at hand here too The electrically assisted steering is fairly accurate and predictable though With its honed underpinnings the Jetta corners with poise and has a chassis to endow it with great composure even under pressure Body roll is well contained and grip from the tyres is impressive for the classVerdictThe Jetta wouldnrsquot be the longstanding success it is without some inimitable virtues A distilled design great dynamics and great engine options mdash the Jetta has the essentials wellcovered A comprehensive safety net comprising 6 airbags ABS EBD ESP and 5 star NCAP rating also make it one of the safest car to travel in with family What we do miss though are leather seats and a reversing camera mdash features which are offered in much lower priced cars these days DSG automatic adds tremendously to the appeal of the Jetta and its absence in the midlevel trim is a bit disappointing However the Jetta still remains a honed refined machine which is among the very best money can buy in its segment