If you've been waiting patiently for the chance to modify your 2009 TDI, your wait is over. True Volkswagen TDI enthusiasts have something to cheer about as new Performance and Upgrade product releases are here for the 2009 VW JETTA 2.0L TDI Sedan and Wagon. After Volkswagen's decision not to manufacture 2007 and 2008 VW TDI'S, many TDI enthusiasts have pounced on the chance to buy a factory fresh 2009 TDI Jetta. With no TDI vehicles coming off the VW assembly line for a few years, manufacturers of VW TDI upgrades had to turn their attention to other product lines. Performance Cold Air Intake Systems and Rapid Power Module's, or "Chips" as they are often called, are two of the easiest, least expensive, and most effective upgrades you can make to your 2009 TDI Jetta. Diesel engines want cold air to breathe and properly atomized fuel to burn, and an upgraded intake and module will give your TDI just what it needs. If you are interested in maximizing the full potential of your VW TDI, read on.
To give your Turbo Diesel more cold air, a high-quality choice comes from Advanced Flow Engineering, or AFE Power as they are commonly known. AFE has recently released a Performance Air Intake System for the 2009 Jetta TDI 2.0L with an impressive list of benefits and performance data. The system is 100% bolt-on, mounts to the lower airbox housing, and no drilling or cutting is required. After a simple 15-30 minute installation, you can expect air flow to increase 56% over stock. 10 at 3150 RPM, and expect Torque to increase by 23 lbs. Performance modules improve TDI fuel economy and provide extra horsepower at the same time by improving the efficiency of the vehicle fuel injection system. Performance market manufacturer and TDI stalwart Bully Dog now markets a "Rapid Power Performance Module" for the 2009 VW TDI Jetta which effectively improves fuel economy and horsepower. This module is a simple inline, between wiring harness, plug-in chip designed for safe and long lasting use. 15% horsepower via a simple toggle switch that can be left in the engine bay or installed within the interior of the vehicle for easy access. 25HP and a torque increase of 30 ft-lbs. If you can keep your foot of the gas pedal you should even see some impressive fuel economy gains on a car that already gets remarkable mileage.
After 25 years and more than 2.2 million vehicles sold in North America, Volkswagen has sent the new Jetta sallying forth into the marketplace under the flag of 鈥淎ll grown up. This implies a new level of maturity and comfort in the Jetta without any loss of its fun-to-drive characteristics. The question is can Volkswagen pull it off. The new Jetta replaces the old one鈥檚 2.0-liter, 115-horsepower power plant with a 2.5-liter 150-horsepower inline 5-cylinder topping out with 170 lb.-ft. 3,750 rpm. The 4-speed automatic is gone, replaced by a 6-speed automatic with Tiptronic (5-speed manual is a listed option). It鈥檚 listed as a compact, seating 5 with 16 cu. EPA mileage is 22 city/30 highway, and it runs on regular. Top speed is an electronically limited 130 mph, and VW estimates 0-60 in 9.1 seconds. That鈥檚 one of those things about VW鈥檚: They always feel faster than the numbers and handle better than the price. The new Jetta is no exception.
It may be made with parts from all over the world, but it still handles largely like a Volkswagen, sending the message: Drivers wanted. As you can infer, handling is very good - precise, firm and on-center. The new Jetta feels less demanding than its more Teutonic predecessors, but no less capable. This is still a driver鈥檚 car, and the fun鈥檚 still there. The passengers, though, get to share in the fun. The new Jetta is larger and more comfortable than the old. Fit and finish were very good, instruments rationally conceived and well laid out, seats comfortable and supportive. Construction quality should ensure a long, creak-free life for the new Jetta, which recorded double-digit increases in torsional and dynamic rigidity. The new Jetta balances sportiness and comfort, with a quiet cockpit added to the list of pluses. Safety, as you know if you watch TV or read a newspaper or magazine, is a strong point of the new Jetta.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested the Jetta early at VW鈥檚 request, and said, 鈥淭he 2005 Volkswagen new Jetta earned good ratings in both frontal offset and side impact crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Plus the Jetta is the first vehicle to earn the top rating of good in every individual measurement category (injury measures, head protection, and structural design) of the Institute鈥檚 side impact test. This car is designated a "best pick" for side crash protection, and it's a good performer for frontal crash protection. 鈥淭he new Jetta was the first vehicle to ace our side impact test,鈥?said Institute president Brian O'Neill. 鈥淚t's the best performer among midsize inexpensive cars. Its structural performance was better than the second- and third-best models, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. So the Jetta provides the traditional Volkswagen virtues of German engineering and handling, is larger and more refined, and still very well priced (more on that later).
