WASHINGTON, June 3 (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG Chief Executive Herbert Diess met on Monday with the top U.S. Mexican vehicles, two people briefed on the matter said. Diess met with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, the sources said. A spokesman for Lighthizer did not immediately comment. The tariffs could cause the largest European automaker significant pain. Mexican made vehicles accounted for nearly half of Volkswagen's U.S. The company builds the Jetta and Tiguan among other models at its Puebla, Mexico, plant and builds engines at a plant in Silao. It also assembles the Audi Q5, its best-selling U.S. A Volkswagen of America spokesman confirmed Diess was in Washington but declined to confirm his meeting with Lighthizer. In December, Diess was among a group of senior executives of leading German automakers who were pressed by Trump to expand their investments in the United States. 800 million to build a new electric vehicle at its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Diess also said in January that the company was considering building Audi vehicles in the United States but that no decisions had been made.
The 2012 Volkswagen Jetta sedan received a 4-star rating for frontal impacts and a 5-star rating for side impacts from NHTSA. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the 2012 Jetta sedan a Good rating for moderate-overlap front impacts, side impacts, roof strength, and for head-restraint and seat crash performance. Volkswagen covered the 2012 Jetta with a 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty and a 12-year/unlimited-mile corrosion-perforation warranty. Additionally, routine maintenance and roadside assistance were covered for a 3-year/36,000-mile period. Volkswagen certified pre-owned (CPO) cars can't have more than 75,000 miles on the odometer and must be 6 years old or less. Every CPO Jetta undergoes a 112-point inspection and gets a Carfax report. The VW CPO warranty covers the whole car bumper-to-bumper for 2 years or 24,000 miles and includes roadside assistance. 2012 Chevrolet Cruze -- Like the Jetta, the Cruze's Opel roots give it a solid feel and fun-to-drive handling characteristics. The 1.4-liter turbo engine blends ample performance with good fuel economy. The Cruze isn't involved with GM's ignition-switch recall because it uses a newer, improved design.
The Jetta has been on a bit of roller coaster ride for the last 20 years. Back in 1999, we can recall being stopped in our tracks when we first laid eyes on VW鈥檚 Jetta, at that time at the dawn of its 4th generation. Fear not Jetta fans- your favourite car is back! Er, mostly. The rear suspension, which went from twist beam to independent is now鈥 twist beam again. 20 years is a long time where automotive advancement is concerned, and the engineers have managed to coax not only commendable ride quality, but also handling that is good enough to be described as brisk. The Jetta鈥檚 march back towards respectability isn鈥檛 predicated simply on the rear suspension but rather on its entire platform- it鈥檚 currently underpinned by Volkswagen鈥檚 increasingly ubiquitous MQB platform. Further upping the zest factor was our tester鈥檚 R-Line trim package which adds an appreciable measure of spice- those wanting the full zoot GLI should head to their local dealership and they should be arriving as you read this.
When you spec the R-Line package, what do you get? 2,085 your Jetta will enjoy a few key upgrades over its brethren. The most striking change is in the wheel wells- handsome Viper 17鈥?alloys are finished in a smoked motif although we wish they were a little bigger. The other chassis hardware that gets the R-Line treatment are the shocks, tuned to give more of a sporting flair to the proceedings. The rest of the stuff is cosmetic- you get R-Line badges on the grille and front fenders- and rounding out the package is a steering wheel that fits perfectly in the hands. Does the R-Line kit turn the Jetta into a GLI-Lite? Not really. Yes, the upgraded shocks do add a bit of starch to the suspension, but ride quality is clearly the focus of VW engineers, not canyon carving. You can get a manual gearbox in any Jetta trim level, but ours was equipped with a perfectly competent 8-speed automatic- again, it鈥檚 tuned more for everyday driving than banging up and down through the ratios.
And while the GLI gets the same gem found under the hoods of all GTI鈥檚, the Jetta soldiers on with a 1.4 litre turbo four that makes meager numbers compared to its hotter cousin. Don鈥檛 think the 1.4 is a boat anchor, however. Despite its underwhelming numbers and tiny displacement, this engine punches way above its weight. It鈥檚 powerband is skewed towards low end muscle, and it is remarkable how effortless the engine feels in urban driving. Simply roll into the throttle and meaningful thrust can be yours without the tach having to spin to its upper reaches. Only when you keep your foot to the firewall after you鈥檝e reached higher speeds does the little engine begin to run out of puff. Most drivers will appreciate VW鈥檚 decision to imbue the Jetta鈥檚 running gear with a nod towards the types of driving scenario your encounter on a day-to-day basis. That includes the overall composed nature of the Jetta whether you find yourself in the city or on the highway. The structure feels drum tight and it鈥檚 impressively refined as well. What might go wrong? The Jetta is a well executed car overall and there is not much to complain about, especially given that it鈥檚 so attractively priced. Should I buy a Jetta Highline? Any Jetta, regardless of trim, is going to be a rewarding choice- we can鈥檛 stress enough that you get a lot of car for your money, one that feels more expensive than it is. That鈥檚 perhaps the highest praise we can lavish on the crowded compact sedan class chock full of many excellent cars. Our pick would be-surprise, suprise-the hot rod GLI. No matter what you choose, the Save the Sedans movement will thank you.
