The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta will include VW's return to diesel-powered cars. The new 2009 Jetta TDI will come in sedan and wagon versions. Their clean and quiet diesel engines will have no effect on the roomy cabin or good road manners that Jetta buyers delight in. Externally the diesel-powered models will be distinguished by blue TDI badges, in reference to Volkswagen's BlueMotion moniker for clean diesels. 1000 more than the standard gasoline engine, and estimate EPA numbers to be 8-12 mpg ahead of the gasoline engine. Jetta TDIs will use a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged, direct-injection diesel proven in Europe and race tracks in Volkswagen's TDI cup spec-racing series. Output is 140 horsepower (around 3800-4000 rpm) and 258 pound-feet of torque, available before 2000 rpm; that's 30 hp behind the gas engine but ahead on torque by 80 lb-ft. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, and the six-speed automatic Direct Shift Gearbox, or DSG, will be available. In some respects the diesel feels quieter at idle than the odd-frequency sound of the five-cylinder gas engine, rather like a rattlesnake's tail muted under a heavy blanket.
With the car at speed or the ventilation fan or radio on you won't hear the engine except at full-throttle. It's clean too, with many emissions superior to gasoline engines. If our mileage is indicative, cruising range will better 400 miles around town, negating frequent refueling. You'll need a few revs to put the TDI in motion, and as the tachometer climbs past 1500 rpm serious thrust is ladled on smoothly and evenly right to redline. Don't expect to win any traffic light Grands Prix but tire chirping is not unusual, especially when launching from a stop into a sharp turn. Zero to 60 mph should come in around 9 seconds, which is how long a lot of 35-mpg cars take, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Once moving, the massive midrange torque will allow you to crawl around urban environs or pull an 8-percent grade in top gear at just 50 mph. And with six gears to choose from, power is never more than a click away. We did a few loops for rough mileage scenarios.
One involved a highway out-and-back, run at 70-75 mph with a 2.5-mile leg on 7-percent grade descent and climb (where we accelerated to 85 mph in top gear) on the return. We finished the loop with the trip computer showing average speed of 72 mph and average economy of 40.7 mpg; at 90 miles the fuel gauge still read full. On a winding two-lane through rolling countryside, 50 mph average at 43.7 mpg. Driving like we stole it in city traffic still returned 23.1 mpg. That same day a 2.5 gas engine Jetta with five-speed manual over the same courses got between 15.4 and 28.1 mpg. The diesel was run with the AC on all day in 100-degree weather; there is a way to get good fuel economy and decent performance. Diesel fuel will have to become much more expensive than gasoline before the mileage cost benefit doesn't match the fuel price penalty. But even if it does get there, would you rather be doing 20 mpg or 30?
The current Jetta has been around for a while and it didn鈥檛 really change much since 2010. In fact the current model is still rocking the PQ35 architecture which is just old at this point. Luckily a new model is already on its way and it looks like VW finished the development process only recently. Even though so far we have only seen the camouflaged version of the car, there have been people who already drove the new 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. It looks like there are some good changes as well as some that may have been omitted. Even so, the new model is definitely an overall improvement, so let鈥檚 take a closer look and see what is better about it. The suspension system is probably the biggest change with the new platform. Unlike its predecessor, the upcoming 2019 Volkswagen Jetta is going to boast VW鈥檚 all new MQB modular architecture. This has been underpinning the Golf for a while and it finally looks like the sedan will come with it. 2020 RAM 2500 spied! The suspension system is probably the biggest change with the new platform.
While we would have loved to see the independent system, it looks like the new Jetta will actually come with a torsion beam rear axle. This definitely lowers the production costs but it will also give the car slightly more room in the trunk. Sadly this type of suspension is worse than an independent setup, so we do hope VW will change it in the future. Thanks to the new platform the new car will also be lighter and more structurally sound. The latter will translate in better NVH levels, likely a better set of driving characteristics as well as better crash protection. As the camouflaged version of the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta was pretty much ready, it is safe to assume the production model is not far off. In Europe the car will be even cheaper, but this is mostly because the car will also come with less equipment than in the US.
