The redesigned 2019 Volkswagen Jetta made some favorable impressions after its debut at the 2018 North American Auto Show in Detroit. The new Jetta grows dimensionally in every direction. It offers a longer wheelbase鈥?05.7 inches compared to 104.4 inches鈥攚ith shorter overhangs, and is longer, wider and taller than the previous generation model. You would think the stretched exterior equates to more interior space but overall passenger volume measured at 94.7 cubic feet, which is less than the Civic, Corolla, Elantra, and Forte. Thankfully, real-life fitting of live bodies says otherwise. It turns out that a pair of six-foot individuals seated in the back seat won鈥檛 have their knees tucked under the chin. Did the Jetta鈥檚 boot get bigger? Just the opposite. The trunk has 14.1 cubic feet of cargo capacity compared to the previous-gen model that offered 15.7 cubic feet. This downsizing also came up short when compared to its class competitors.
The redesigned cabin isn鈥檛 spacious in comparison to its outer dimensions but redeems itself with a nicely upgraded cabin and a slew of new technology and safety components. For example, the Driver-Assistance Package that brings forward-collision warning and mitigation along with blind-spot and rear-cross-traffic alerts. The Jetta SEL and SEL Premium models feature a standard Volkswagen Digital Cockpit display descended from its Audi cousins. The reconfigurable display provides drivers with essential data and the ability to position navigation data in front of your nose for easy viewing. The available Volkswagen Car-Net system provides a suite of connected vehicle services, including standard App-Connect technology that offers compatible smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink. Not be overlooked, the new Jetta is the first Volkswagen in the U.S. 400-watt BeatsAudio system. Sound quality is a significant step up from the Fender Audio system presented in the A6 Jetta. The audio stage was great with a nice open sound and enough bass to satisfy most listeners.
Turn up the volume and the system played loud with greater ease than the standard Bose systems found in my cars today. Under the hood lies VW鈥檚 1.4-liter turbocharged and direct-injection TSI engine that delivers 147 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels. Standard is a six-speed manual transmission in the entry-level S trim. The eight-speed automatic is standard equipment on the SE trims and higher. Overall EPA fuel economy rings in at 34 mpg. Driven at safe and sane speeds on the freeway, the new Jetta thriftily sips gas to achieve 40 mpg. Combined with improvements in chassis structure and rigidity, the Mk7 Jetta behaves better on the road. Acceleration feels sedated but body roll is well controlled, and it does a fair job of soaking up bumps and rough pavement. All-around visibility is what you would expect from a compact sedan, with cabin noise and vibration muted to a pleasant German high standard. VW did an admirable job of making the seventh-generation Jetta into something that may soothe your daily drive. The redesigned 2019 model looks better, drives with sharpened skills, sports a nicely appointed cabin, has a fair amount of tech and safety features, and gets excellent fuel economy. Overall, it鈥檚 still on the bland side but is worth considering if you鈥檙e in the market for a small sedan and want to have some change left over for other fun things in life. The roster of available trim levels for the 2019 VW Jetta include S, SE, SEL, and SEL Premium. An R-Line appearance package is also available at launch time and features bold styling accents, exclusive interior and exterior design elements, R-Line badging, and XDS electronic differential.
FAIRFAX, Va., Feb 20 (Reuters) - A Virginia state court judge on Tuesday rejected a request by the U.S. Volkswagen AG to delay several of the company's trials over excess emissions because of "inflammatory" comments made by a lawyer representing car owners that it fears will prejudice the jury. Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Bruce White said after a hearing that he would proceed with a Feb. 26 trial involving a North Carolina man who bought a 2014 diesel Jetta. Volkswagen said publicity from a Netflix documentary that disclosed the company had jointly sponsored tests that exposed monkeys in 2014 to toxic diesel fumes could prejudice its chances of receiving a fair trial. Judge White said he was satisfied a fair panel could be seated for the expected three-week trial. White said generally of high-profile cases. The German carmaker is being sued by some consumers after it admitted in September 2015 to cheating on diesel emissions tests, sparking the biggest business crisis in its history. 25 billion settlement in 2016 in the United States that addressed claims from them, environmental regulators, U.S. About 2,000 owners, however, opted out and most are pursuing court claims seeking additional compensation. Volkswagen of America had asked White to delay that trial for at least six months after a lawyer for more than 300 U.S. VW diesel owners, Michael Melkersen, gave an interview in the Netflix documentary in which he referred to the company testing diesel fumes on monkeys. In its legal filing, VW麓s lawyers argued those comments would prevent a fair trial. Volkswagen lawyers said that "pretrial publicity has connected (the company) directly with Hitler and the Holocaust," which they said was not relevant to a trial about claims of consumer fraud.
Volkswagen's Jetta compact sedan, a mainstay of the German automaker's lineup for 40 years, received a significant redesign for the 2019 model year, bringing a new platform, fresh new design, technology upgrades, and more. 27,500 if you opt for the high-end SEL Premium trim.. 22,000 before any additional options. As an SE trim, my test vehicle came with the 6.5-inch Composition Color system, which gave me an opportunity to see what a buyer with a relatively modest budget can expect to experience in a Jetta. On its own, the Composition Color system is pretty basic. It includes AM/FM radio, Bluetooth and USB connectivity for media sources, Bluetooth phone support, and some vehicle efficiency data. There's no SiriusXM and no embedded navigation, but what it does have is VW's Car-Net App-Connect that's standard across the lineup, and that means support for CarPlay and Android Auto, which I'll get to shortly. The Composition Color system is simple and easy to use, with large icons for changing radio presets and making other adjustments.
