Performance equipment shared with the hatchback GTI includes brakes, powertrain, and limited-slip differential. A special 35th Anniversary Edition model will come with an adaptive suspension. Volkswagen's revived Jetta GLI sedan made a splash when it debuted at the Chicago auto show earlier this month, and now we know how much it will cost when it goes on sale this spring. 1600 cheaper than a similarly equipped GTI. The Jetta GLI lineup will consist of three trims: S, 35th Anniversary, and Autobahn. All three are powered by a 228-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four engine that drives the front wheels through a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The GLI's front brakes and torque-sensing limited-slip differential are both shared with the GTI and the even hotter Golf R. Volkswagen says the midrange 35th Anniversary model also will come with an adaptive suspension. The GLI S comes with a ton of features and promises to be the best value of the lineup. 30,890 with the automatic. The Jetta GLI should arrive at U.S. Volkswagen dealerships in just a few short months and, like all Volkswagens, will come with fully transferrable six-year/72,000-mile limited and powertrain warranties.
The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta compact sedan earned a five-star crash-test rating from the federal government, the automaker said Thursday. Though it didn't ace the NHTSA's barrage of crash tests, the 2019 Jetta earned four stars for frontal crash protection and five stars for side-impact protection. The compact sedan also scored four stars in the calculated rollover test. Results of the test apply to all Jetta trim levels鈥擲, SE, SEL, and GLI. The government's ratings join "Good" marks overall for the Jetta from the insurance industry-funded IIHS. In the IIHS' testing the VW Jetta fell short of a Top Safety Pick award due to its headlights, which the group said rated "Marginal" at best. The Jetta is closely related to the VW Golf, which also earned five stars overall from federal testers. The redesigned 2019 Jetta comes standard with six airbags, anti-lock brakes, and a post-collision system that holds the brakes after it has detected an impact, but automatic emergency braking is an optional extra. That collision-avoiding tech that alerts drivers and if they take no action can apply the brakes automatically if it detects a pending forward is optional on the base Jetta S and is standard on all other trim levels.
In the past few years, sedan sales have taken a serious nosedive, and it鈥檚 all thanks to the wider availability of crossovers. Get the Flash Player to see this player. The vehicle we picked to represent crossovers is the funky Nissan Kicks. 17,000 at its most affordable. Vehicles like this are eating away at small car sales. It has a smaller wheelbase than most compact cars like Nissan鈥檚 own Sentra, or the VW Jetta we have here to represent sedans. This makes the Kicks feel really agile, even if it鈥檚 an SUV-like crossover. It also has a smaller turning circle than most compact sedans. You may think that鈥檚 an unfair demonstration, but many buyers downsize a class when they switch from a sedan to a crossover, mainly because the interior space in a crossover is on par with the slightly bigger compact sedan. But when it comes to sedans, they have been getting better and better to stay relevant in the face of the increased competition from crossovers.
The Jetta has a longer wheelbase, is also wider, and boasts more interior space than before. But all of that means very little when a subcompact crossover has more cargo space, right? Well actually, the design of the Jetta doesn鈥檛 quite emphasize headroom as much as a crossover does, but it does have pretty good legroom. And the longer wheelbase allows for a more stable and smoother on-road experience, perfect for those who spend a lot of time on highways. Style-wise, crossovers tend to look more like hatchbacks than SUVs, with a limited increase in ride height in comparison to cars. In fact, this Kicks has just a half-inch more ground clearance than a Sentra. Many also say that the crossover feels like a bigger and more safer due to the higher ride height and driving position. In the past, SUVs could feel tippy and unsafe, but newer crossovers feature electronic stability control, something that鈥檚 become mandatory since 2012. That means that tall vehicles are safer and less prone to rollovers. The Kicks was actually a given a Top Safety Pick rating by the IIHS, with only its headlights being heavily criticized, apart from the typically difficult small-overlap test.
Specifically, the IIHS notes that some glare is caused by the headlights on the Kicks. This may be a result of the slightly higher ride height of the vehicle that is blinding some oncoming drivers. ALSO SEE: Do You Really Need a Crossover? At least there is more space overall in the Kicks, especially in terms of headroom and cargo room. The rear seat legroom of these crossovers is actually down a bit in comparison to compact sedans, but they鈥檙e still usable for family vehicles. Passenger volume is about the same as compact sedans, but the cargo room is significantly more. This Kicks has 25 cubic feet behind the rear seats. That figure nearly doubles when you fold the seats. But obviously, the sleeker design of the Jetta helps it cause less wind noise and should help with fuel economy. Crossovers are probably gaining popularity because it鈥檚 a new style: nobody wants the last generation of family car.
