2019 VW Jetta Shows Its Sporty Profile

Remember when Jettas were cool? Seems so long ago.....

The Jetta has sadly always been a bit of a step child in the line up. Base (read non-GLI) cars used drum rear brakes for a long time, and still use a torsion beam suspension so that's not a surprise. The GLI and Beetle turbo are also the only models to use the odd-ball EA888 Gen3 motor which was updated from the MK6 motor but is not the same 2.0T GTIs get. Different turbo, intake, etc.

The current Jetta is still on the PQ35/MK6 chassis, so it's likely this will bring the model up to speed with the current MQB chassis and motors. I'm all for it, and hopefully they don't muddy the model up again. Takes all the fun out of it.

Size wise, I don't think they're big at all. Same size as an A3, which is the same size as a Golf as far as I'm concerned. Cars in general have just become bigger if you compare them to 40 year old models, or even 20 year old ones.

Shane_Anigans said:

Seems odd that they'd take a step back like that, unless they've somehow found a magical way to make a torsion beam drive like an independent rear. I know the average sedan buyer isn't terribly concerned with cornering, but ride comfort is still important, and I would think the person who chooses a Jetta over a more ordinary sedan does so because they're an enthusiast.

Then again, Ford did manage to make a Mustang with a live rear axle that was as fast around Laguna Seca as an E92 M3.

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I am pretty sure that they are betting that those sales would go to the GTI.

This is their volume car so I don’t fault them at all. 99.9% of people won’t care.

XM_Rocks said:

I am pretty sure that they are betting that those sales would go to the GTI.

This is their volume car so I don’t fault them at all. 99.9% of people won’t care.

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It won't be the volume car for too much longer, since sedan sales plummeted last year, across the entire industry. As the general public in 'Merica become less interested in driving, the people who used to buy sedans are moving into compact/midsize SUVs, because if handling isn't something you're concerned with, get the car that you can pack the most crap into.

Ironically, many people (including a friend of mine) don't consider a hatchback to be a car for "grownups," which leads to stupid decisions like Ford and Nissan making Fiesta and Versa sedans for the US market only. But take that same hatchback, and 2" of ground clearance and optional AWD, and suddenly it's OK to be seen in one. We don't deserve to have nice things.