Jetta, tried and trusted

Okay, that's probably pretty farfetched and by no means am I endorsing drinking and driving. Volkswagen and the Jetta go way back in South Africa, to 1980 to be precise. It's proved a winning formula, the Jetta - take the Golf of the time and add a large boot - winning the hearts and minds of the family man who had outgrown the obvious limitations of a hatchback. My dad had two and still has fond memories of them.

Over 273,000 Jettas have been sold locally and over 14 million worldwide sold since 1979, making the Jetta one of the top selling cars in the entire Volkswagen group. Back then, it was the most luxurious VW you could buy, before the introduction of the likes of the Passat, CC, Tiguan and Touareg etc. It was a time when many of your mates' parents drove Caravelles before they became a half a million rand proposition.

Looks classy!

Traditionally the Jetta has always played second fiddle to its cooler more hip brother, the Golf. When a new Golf launches - to much fanfare - the subsequent new Jetta is always late to the party, not adding much to the mix other than a large derriere. Think VW Fox, the very first 'Jetta'. Six versions later and we have this, the New Jetta - launched in December last year - following the introduction of the Golf 7 way back in February 2014.

Whereas previous Jettas could only really wear the 'Golf with a boot' moniker, this new model, although obviously based on the Golf's look, manages to transcend this stereotype by looking more like a standalone product than ever before. With redesigned front and back ends, it definitely looks more upmarket, rather leaving any sporty pretentions to its more image-conscious sibling.

The words 'stylish' and 'upmarket' are probably overused by journalists in describing a new model, but in the new Jetta they seem to be the only two appropriate words. I lie, because I could quite easily add sophisticated and classy to that list. Especially when describing the Jetta's interior which is even better to be in than the outside is to look at. There can be no doubt that the Volkswagen Group's ability to build quality car interiors is their ultimate achievement - the use of tactile soft-to-the-touch materials fill the cabin and give the feeling you're driving something with a far loftier price tag than a humble Jetta - if even in sacrifice of definitive individualism. Besides the Scirocco, are modern VWs boring?

Yes, they are! Is there at least a firecracker or two under the bonnet?

Well, not quite. The new Jetta's range of engines has been carried over in this the seventh version of the Jetta with three petrol engines (1.2 TSI 77kW, 1.4 TSI 90kW and 1.4 TSI 118kW) and two diesel engines (1.6 TDI 77kW and 2.0 TDI 103kW) available.

As is tradition with manufacturer test units, I drove the 1.4 TSI 118kW Highline DSG for the week which is the highest spec petrol powered Jetta in the range. The 1.4 TSI with 118kW engine uses supercharging and turbocharging to produce a pretty impressive 118kW and 240Nm of torque.

Mated to VWs slick dual-clutch 7-speed DSG gearbox and on paper you have match made in heaven. I saw on paper because, in the real world the DSG gearbox is not without fault. Not being massively technically minded I can't pass comment on the nitty-gritty workings of this gearbox, but having driven a few models equipped with similar transmissions, I get the distinct feeling that VW has got to the point of over engineering/overthinking things.

Under most circumstances, the gearbox is great - superb even - but it does have a few annoyances. Left to its own devices it merrily shifts gears with a rapidity you couldn't replicate with human interference, managing even to drop a few gears when necessary, on a downhill for example.

One issue I have is that it often pulls off in second, this is fine if you're in a gently, gently mood. However, if you need some urgency, but without wanting to light up the front wheels, it kicks back into first (jerkily it must be said) revving almost all the way to the read-line in first gear. Unnecessary at best.

You can take command and shift gears yourself via the 'gear' lever, something I just don't find natural, because unfortunately there are no steering wheel mounted paddles, something I think all auto's (especially double clutch units) need as standard fitment. They react so quickly that a quick shift of on one of the paddles is all that is need to take control.

The Jetta in my mind is not a sporty car, granted it isn't sold as one, and a half-solve to the above is to select the 'Sport' option. This works somewhat - the car pulling off almost always in first gear from standstill - but for everywhere else the Sport option just doesn't work. It holds gears for far too long and just wrecks your fuel consumption. You also can't select the 'manual' mode when you're in Sport, and have to just rely on the cars brains to do it for you. Sure if you're really 'on it' the Sport option does work, but who is, and who wants to in a Jetta?

I am no doubt being over-critical but it was a constant frustration over the week I drove the Jetta, and as I said, under normal circumstances, the DSG gearbox is fantastic. However, I do remember it being better. I think part of the problem is that the Jetta is underpinned by such a composed, well balanced chassis that when driving it you're lulled into thinking that it is sportier than it is. Hat tip to Volkswagen in that regard.

Okay, tell us more about that 'ultimate interior' you spoke of

The Volkswagen Group really does have the last say in car interiors built for the everyday man. The fit and finish really is top-notch with air of sophistication even for a humble Jetta. Soft touch materials abound, with almost no appearance of anything that might be considered cheap.

The only let down for me personally was the faux-wood inserts on the dash and doors, but then I'm not even a fan of real wood trim, so this is a personal preference. And, the wood is an option you can choose not to have.

From the cosseting leather seats, to the chunky leather wrapped steering wheel - which has a plethora of remote control features - the Jetta's interior is actually somewhere you want to spend extended amounts of time in, with its ability to shield you from the outside world. Road noise is imperceptible, as is engine noise unless of course you're winding it up a bit.

The 118kW Highline is well specced with hill hold control, driver, passenger and curtain airbags, dual-zone climatronic, flat tyre indicator, fog light with bending light function, auto dimming rear view mirror, 17-inch alloy wheels, auto windscreen wipers with headlight washer function, auto headlights, Bluetooth and multimedia connectivity, one touch electric window operation on all four windows, Servotronic speed-sensitive power steering all standard fare, amongst others. A notable omission is navigation which considering the price and the standard fitment of a touchscreen TFT display.

A few options do of course make a life a little more plush (and were fitted to my test unit), such as the sunroof, USB Media-In with iPod/iPhone adapter cable, park distance control (front & rear), Bi-Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, headlight washer system, dynamic headlight range adjustment, dynamic bending light and LED rear lights, interior ambient lighting and the optional sporty leather seats.

Okay, let's wrap this up

Since its inception the Jetta has catered for the average working class man, offering exterior space much needed for growing families. As is customary, so has the price and for many the Jetta has moved into a whole new class. If you're after original Jetta value for money I'm afraid you'll have to set your sights lower, Polo sedan lower.

At R335,600 without even considering some of the nice-to-have options the new Jetta is not cheap, but it does offer an enormous amount of German superiority not quite matched by its competitors. Having never driven a Golf GTi it's not hard to see why it still sits as the benchmark for dynamics and overall packaging as a driver's car.

And with the Jetta which is based upon the same dynamic platform, albeit without the extra performance engineering, as a standalone product, you just can't beat it.