THE SEVENTH-GENERATION JETTA IS LIKE a changing-room mirror for American consumers: uncomfortable to look at, but achingly honest. 鈥淲e used to call the Jetta 鈥榝un to drive,鈥欌€?a product manager said at the North American launch of the 2019 Jetta. Fair enough. Because the Jetta isn鈥檛 especially fun to drive. The car tracks dead straight, even during a 100-mph pass on a gnarled back road. The old ones were like that, too鈥擩ettas always felt grown-up compared with other small cars. But now, there鈥檚 not a jink or judder from the steering wheel. Zero feedback. The front end tracks smooth as Skippy through any corner and over every bump. The whisper-in-church quietude of the front end redirects drivers鈥?attention from textures in the asphalt to what most American consumers crave. Namely, a spacious interior packed with creature comforts. The car is bigger in every exterior dimension, creating extra head and shoulder room. Even low trims receive thoughtful touches, like a soft rubber dash embellished with faux stitching. 20,000 base price, which actually undercuts competitors like the Civic and Corolla.
Considering the last Jetta鈥檚 austerity, sprucing up the interior was a savvy call. 25,265) or higher receive a new digital cluster behind the steering wheel. It鈥檚 visually similar to Audi鈥檚 Tron-inspired virtual-cockpit display and offers drivers the usual info鈥攔adio station, speed, revs鈥攊n an elegant layout. The display floats on a river of shiny, Steinway-black plastic that flows to the stereo screen on the right. The stereo itself is operated by two knobs and a touchscreen鈥攅rgonomic bliss in an era of clutter. The BeatsAudio system (included on SEL and up) is a high point, one of the best available in this price range. When listening to high-bit-rate rap, hip-hop, and electronica, every bass thump racks your rib cage. But rock music disappoints: Drums on Chevelle鈥檚 鈥淔ace to the Floor鈥?congeal into a muddy mess. The Jetta鈥檚 exterior, tightly creased yet otherwise unadorned, conveys a heft and solidity absent from the origami-swan Civic or trim Corolla.
If you squint, there are shades of Audi S3 in the haunches and taillights. But the visual height at the front and rear also gives off a blocky, Ford Fusion vibe. This Jetta is an odd mosaic; dull or handsome, depending on the angle from which it鈥檚 viewed. That size is central to VW鈥檚 strategy in America. As is simplification. The Jetta is based on the same MQB architecture that serves the Golf (and many other VWs) but trades the Golf鈥檚 multilink rear suspension for a torsion-beam setup. It cuts costs and 44 pounds but is loud and clunky over bumps, betraying the smooth front end. The 1.4-liter turbo four carries over from 2018 and is now the only engine available, until a Jetta GLI arrives. Power is down slightly, at 147 horses, but a new eight-speed automatic transmission makes better use of the engine鈥檚 powerband. The car feels eager, yet never fast. VW calibrated the drivetrain for American buyers. This means liquid-smooth shifts and minimal throttle input to sprint from stoplight to stoplight or spurt up to highway speed. It鈥檚 a different approach than in Europe, where drivers prefer a more linear throttle response.
VW has ensured that Americans will spend little effort to drive their Jettas, cranking the stereo as they wrestle traffic. The entire experience is calculated, fueled by pragmatism and VW鈥檚 engineering prowess. The versatility of the MQB architecture means the company can reap the cost savings of parts sharing while tailoring cars for specific markets. So, there is no longer a global Jetta. Europe only gets the Golf. China gets its own small sedan, built in-country. And America gets a Jetta made specifically for us. Only, it鈥檚 not for us. For years, the Jetta鈥檚 American audience included enthusiasts. I have white-knuckled memories鈥攁ll slides and heart-in-throat steering corrections鈥攐f a pale-blue second-gen Jetta Wolfsburg I drove to ski resorts in high school. The car was simple and joyous, sophisticated but spunky. That鈥檚 not the Jetta anymore. VW thinks American buyers want value with the impression of wealth. They want a disco throne with faux leather and a bangin鈥?stereo. They want big. All this may be true. We, however, will take a Golf.
