2014 Volkswagen Jetta SEL

SPECIFICATIONS

1. A new 1.8L turbo four-cylinder makes 170 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. 2. Transmission choices for the 1.8 are a five-speed manual and a six-speed automatic. 3. Fuel economy is officially rated at 25 mpg city and 36 mpg. We averaged 28.9 mpg during our week with the car. 4. Pricing starts at $17,540. The as-tested SEL model costs $26,410 including delivery.

PREVIEW

Things are not going as planned for Volkswagen right now. After a year of incredible growth in 2012, sales slid for the majority of 2013. Like an underperforming pro sports team when things aren’t going right, a shake-up of some sort is in order.

Although it may appear to be the same as the 2013 Jetta at first glance, the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta has received a couple of significant changes under the skin. The biggest news for 2014 is that the unloved 2.5-liter five cylinder engine has finally been put out to pasture. Its replacement is a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit slowly creeping into more and more VW products.

INTERIOR

Some don’t like Volkswagen’s MIB infotainment unit and will be happy to hear it is being phased out for the new Carnet system. I however have always liked the MIB system. It’s easy to use, well laid out and the satellite radio presets allow me to see what song is playing on another channel without having to actually change over to that station. Of course, the Fender stereo is still one of the best sounding systems in this segment.

But the real party piece with the Jetta is space. Measuring as large as mid-size cars did not too long ago, the Jetta offers a massive 38.1 inches of rear legroom and a monstrous 15.5 cu Ft trunk. Thanks to the boxy shape, headroom is ample for backseat passengers and driver sightlines are great all around.

UNDER THE HOOD

The new engine makes the same 170 hp as the old five pot did, but torque has been bumped up a bit to 184 lb-ft. More importantly, that torque is now available at a much lower 1,500 rpm. Carried over from the old engine are two transmission choices, a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic gearbox. However, stepping up to higher trimmed Jettas like our SEL test model means the only transmission available is the automatic. The sportier GLI model offers a six-speed manual or a six-speed dual clutch automatic as do the diesel models.

Volkswagen has long been producing turbocharged four bangers and it shows. The engine is smooth, refined and lacking any turbo lag; the latter thanks in part to the engine not being attached to Volkswagen’s dual clutch transmission. The new 1.8-liter turbo behaves a lot like the TDI diesel. There is a lot of low end torque and the transmission is quick to up upshift at a lower than expected rpm. As well, like any good Volkswagen, the 1.8 liter feels far more powerful than the claimed 170 hp, a fact exaggerated by the Jetta’s relatively low curb weight of just over 3,100 lbs.

As should be expected, the downsized engine achieves better fuel economy with city ratings improving by one mpg to 25 and highway ratings increasing by five mpg to 36. During our week with the car temperatures remained below freezing, but our winter tire equipped Jetta still returned a decent 28.9 mpg average.