23.30 million) in compensation linked to VW's diesel emissions scandal, the ruling seen by Reuters said. The suit was filed by Safe Diesel on behalf of 2,435 people, the ruling, which was shown to Reuters by Safe Diesel, said. Safe Diesel was set up to take on the case for the claimants. The decision, ordering Volkswagen to pay the full amount, is open to appeal but only on procedural grounds. Volkswagen said it would launch an appeal. The Prague district court spokesman was not immediately available to comment. Safe Diesel's lawyer Frantisek Honsa said in a company statement. Volkswagen admitted in September 2015 that it had cheated U.S. 31 billion) in penalties for using illegal software to disguise excessive levels of pollution from its diesel cars, triggering a global regulatory clampdown. The Prague ruling, dated March 22 but not previously released, said the compensation demand was upheld without a court hearing because Skoda parent Volkswagen failed to deliver any objections to the demands by a deadline set by the court. Volkswagen said it believed the ruling would be overruled and the action dismissed. Skoda Auto was also part of the suit although it did provide its position and that part of the case has not been ruled upon, the ruling said. Skoda Auto said it had rejected the claims and continued to maintain that owners of affected vehicles did not suffer any damage. Safe Diesel said it has been collecting demands from more owners of the affected cars. The ruling only covered the initial 2,435 claimants, but the firm said more than 7,000 people have made claims so far. It added there were 165,000 cars affected by the emissions scandal in the Czech Republic.
2,200 you not only get the good 2.5-liter engine, but features like cruise control and the V-Tex leatherette that looks like leather. 20,000 you've got a roomy, elegant, and beautifully engineered compact car that gets 26 mpg with a 6-speed automatic. The five-cylinder, 20-valve 2.5-liter engine that comes on is a Volkswagen stalwart, and it provides good power for the needs of the car. The Jetta SE and SEL can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 8.5 seconds with the 6-speed automatic, and powers the Jetta to a top speed of 127 mph. It feels even stronger than the 8.5 second number would indicate and is enough for most any need. We drove a silver Jetta SEL with the 6-speed automatic transmission and a black SEL with the 5-speed manual. We think the automatic is an excellent transmission. The Sport mode is sharp and effective. We used it in city driving, where it responded crisply to the San Francisco hills; and in slow-and-go freeway traffic, up-and-down 15 to 30 mph, where it kept the transmission in third gear rather than upshifting/downshifting all the time.
In other words, Sport mode actually made a positive difference that could be felt, even or maybe especially in non-sport conditions. Manual mode can be used for those super-sporty opportunities, such as when canyon driving. It lets you do the shifting yourself through the gearshift; paddle shifters are not available and not really necessary in base models. We found it to be obedient, downshifting responsively when needed. The 5-speed manual gearbox is numb, with long throws, and overly light clutch pedal pressure. Neither of the two gas engines has enough torque to accelerate quickly without downshifting, especially in the tall overdrive fifth gear, so you'll have to be on the ball when driving the manual. The Jetta TDI comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged direct injection (TDI) Clean Diesel engine that makes 140 horsepower and a more impressive 236 lb-ft of torque. It feels strong from a stop, yielding the torque of a sports car.
The engine only revs to about 4500 rpm, however, and isn't as strong as speed and revs increase, though, which explains the 8.7-second 0-60 mph time despite the willing low-speed torque. We think owners will like the strong torque feel down low, and the fact that the diesel runs as quietly as a gasoline engine. Fuel economy is EPA-rated at 42 mpg Highway, making the TDI the next best thing to a hybrid. Diesel fuel can be expensive, however. The sedan's rear suspension has been changed from the last generation, backtracked from the previous multi-link independent setup to a torsion beam geometry. But again, even if the technology has gone rearward, we didn't notice. In its attempt to make the Jetta affordable, Volkswagen felt the multi-link could be sacrificed. The more expensive multi-link design is considered better for handling and ride quality. We found the sedan's suspension has just the right amount of firmness, and is pretty responsive when driven in a sporty manner.
