For the visitors of Volkswagen’s Das Auto (The Car) show in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, in September, it was a no-holds barred showcase of the German manufacturer’s latest model line-up with impressive video plus live action displays.
Though the glitzy show ended there, the underlying message was that Europe’s largest car maker has set its sights on the local market.
While all Volkswagen vehicles sold here are currently fully imported and not as cheap as locally assembled Japanese rivals, their “competitive” pricing regime has made them compelling buys especially among European makes.
With Volkswagen’s local assembling joint venture with DRB-Hicom expected to see cars rolling out very soon, cheaper Volkswagen models are indications of what’s in store.
For a start, Volkswagen has recently brought in three fully imported models which were seen at Das Auto show to whet the appetite.
One of them, the RM150,608 Jetta which is roughly the size of the Toyota Altis or Honda Civic, is VW’s charge into the C-Segment sedan market now dominated by Japanese and national makes.
While the Jetta in its early days was a VW Golf which grew a trunk, Volkswagen says both cars now have their own individual styling path.
At a glance, it’s still possible to mistake the front end of the Jetta for the current generation Golf Mk6 and vice versa.
From a distance, both look strikingly similar with the bonnet/headlight styling and blackened narrow grille featuring two long running chrome trimmings.
At the rear, the trunk and tail light styling bear some likeness to the current generation Audi A4 except there is the single VW logo instead of the four rings on the trunk lip.
The current Jetta is bigger and gets a longer wheelbase compared with the previous generation, translating into more interior space.
Flared wheel arches, a wheelbase stretched to 2,651mm and a reduced height-to-length ratio give a sleeker and elegant appearance.
Inside, the dark dashboard looks solidly made and gets soft-touch materials for a nice tactile feel.
For those familiar with Volkswagen cars, the instrument panel is pretty similar to most models in the line-up and features white LED centre multi-function display, large speedometer and tachometer dials with the smaller temperature and fuel gauges.
The Jetta is roomy enough to seat five adults in comfort over long distances. Rear leg and headroom are also adequate for even tall passengers.
A deep boot with a 510-litre capacity gives ample storage space, which can be further increased by folding down the 60:40 split rear seat backrests.
While the seats are supportive and comfortable for long distance driving, my passengers and I felt that the “Sienna” fabric was a bit coarse and a let-down which impinges on the Jetta’s inner ambience, especially when the car had a stylish exterior.
Replacing this with leather would surely make the interior classier, befitting a European mid-sized executive sedan.
We did get some leather - on the multi-function/paddle shifter steering wheel and hand brake lever.
When it comes to driving, the Jetta delivers with its 1.4-litre TSI twin charger direct injection engine with 160bhp and 240Nm of torque coupled to a fast shifting seven-speed dual clutch DSG transmission.
The sprightly powertrain unit is similar to that used in the Golf TSI and is more powerful than most 2.0-litre non-turbocharged engines.
For comparison, a typical 2.0-litre engine cranks out about 150bhp and 200Nm of torque.
As the Jetta weighs 1,417kg - some 56kg heavier than the Golf, its 0-100kph acceleration, though a tad 0.3 second slower than the Golf, is still a commendable 8.3 seconds. The top speed is 221kph.
Step on the throttle hard and power surges in instantly without any noticeable lag and you very quickly surge towards the national speed limit.
Compared to regular 2.0 litre cars, the Jetta does come up roses in many areas.
Not only is there more pound-for-pound punch from the 1.4 TSI unit but the annual road tax fee is about the same as a Perodua Myvi at RM70 against some RM370 for a 2.0-litre engine.
Also, I found the 1.4 TSI unit to be quite fuel efficient as a round trip from Kuala Lumpur to Malacca and back covering some 350km on a mix of highways and trunk roads used up less than half the amount of fuel in its 55-litre tank.
A mileage of 500km was reached after using up two thirds of fuel in the tank with the trip computer telling us we could still drive for 260km.
VW claims a fuel consumption of 6.0 litres per 100km for the Jetta under a mixed driving cycle which doesn’t seem far off from our fuel usage.
Although steering the car was easy and effortless, the electro-mechanical powered steering feel was a bit wooden for my liking.
At 120kph, the Jetta feels stable and is still a quiet ride, with tyre and wind noises easily kept out by good sound insulation.
Though the suspension system riding on 16-inch tyres might be sportier and has better body roll control compared to that in Japanese models, it still soaks up knocks from potholes without making the ride uncomfortable.
As for the brakes, I had to retrain my foot to be gentler as they were a tad over eager and a soft tap on the pedal will get them biting hard.
The halogen headlights give a wide spread of light for night driving.
The daytime running lights are of the tungsten filament variety rather than the white LEDs that is the current European trend.
Most importantly, the Jetta isn’t stingy on safety. It includes a full five-star Euro NCAP crash rating, six airbags, anti-lock braking system, electronic stability programme with traction control, electronic differential lock and hill hold control.
Other standard equipment are dual-zone Climatronic air conditioning system, radio CD player with USB/iPod/AUX interface, wipers with rain sensor, ISOFIX child seat mounting point, auto-dimming interior mirror and Park Distance Control for the front and rear.
Available colours for the Jetta are Candy White, Tornado Red, Silver Leaf, Platinum Grey, Reflex Silver, Tempest Blue, Toffee Brown and Deep Black.
Jetta may not be as flashy as other VW models such as the Golf or Scirocco but it remains an easy entry-level German four-door sedan with a balanced package of performance, safety and practicality.