The fifth generation Jetta debuted at the 2005 Los Angeles Auto Show in January. A DSG transmission, stability control, and electro-mechanical steering are also new innovations. In North America, the A5 Jetta went on sale in March 2005, as a 2005 1/2 model, overlapping the final model year of the A4 Jetta. A GLI version was released as a 2006 model in North America in the late summer of 2005. The new Jetta was designed by Walter de'Silva. 2005 sales of the New Jetta were disappointing in the US, with the exception of the TDI diesel version, where rapidly rising fuel prices have resulted in heavy demand for vehicles equipped with this engine. While critics embraced the overall vehicle, many thought that it was too high-priced for the highly competitive compact car market. In 2006, Car and Driver named the new GLI an Everyday Hero for an enthusiast who wants sports car handling without losing too much practicality. Volkswagen announced the Jetta in Europe in late May 2005. The model range returns to using the Jetta name on the continent, rather than Bora or Vento. In other parts of the world, this model does retain both names, usually in cases where a previous generation is still sold. For example, in Mexico, the A4 is still sold as the Jetta, while the A5 is the Bora. In China, the A2 is still sold as the Jetta, while the A5 is sold as the Sagitar together with the A4 Bora.
Yep, fold one down in front of you then swing it to block sun through the side window, and you reveal a second sunshield to fold down and block low sun from in front. Then simply concentrate on driving, eyes shaded from glare no matter which way the narrow road twists and turns, without having to keep swinging that danged shield front to side and back. Simple, and surely not expensive to make, but it proves someone has gone the extra mile. They certainly went the extra mile with the instrument/infotainment screen. Yes, screen - it travels virtually the width of the car, and though there is a seam, that’s hidden behind the steering wheel for an exceptionally clean and high-tech look. Volkswagen calls it an Innovation cockpit, with that 12.3-inch virtual instrument panel linked to the 15.3-inch centre touch screen, accessed via gestures, taps and swipes of one or two fingers, rather like a larger-than-life iPad.
Better still, that car is a large, smart SUV with comfortable ride, impressive on-road handling skills and a motor able to accelerate with the alacrity of a smaller, punchier vehicle, or cruise with the unruffled aplomb of a top-class butler. This is the more powerful tune for the 2967cc turbo diesel engine, a unit so quiet and refined from the cabin that were it not for the massive torque hit peaking from 2250rpm you’d think it was run with petrol. Interestingly, Volkswagen claims 8.1l/100km thirst for this vehicle - and our test car, including this writer’s hilly semi-rural commute, returned exactly 8.1l/100km over the 675km driven, since refuel, by the time we returned it. As for handling, this is a talented platform - you have only to realize it’s shared with Bentley’s Bentayga and the Lamborghini Urus, as well as the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne, to realize it’s no mass-market cost-cutter.
That’s part of the equation which led to an increase in size, in available tech, and to this SUV’s confident on-road handling. 10,000 if it also comes with active roll stabilization. Neither was fitted to our test vehicle, but at no point did our tester wish for an after-market improvement to handling or ride comfort, not even on the twisty hill roads that formed part of the test. 3000), which in our experience could be a life saver when reckless pedestrians and busy after-dark traffic combine. There’s nothing guaranteed to make you jump like a near-miss caused by wet night-time roads streaked with reflected lighting and obscuring a couple of young idiots in black strolling across in front of you. This tech spots them well before you do, improving your safety and theirs, quite apart from bragging rights. Other cost options include a heated steering wheel for those regularly driving to the snow, a luggage net, ventilated and massaging front seats, and much, much more. Some of this stuff you almost expect from a vehicle of this price - just as you might expect third-row seats from a vehicle of this size.
With its unique combination of off-road heritage, capability and design, the Toyota FJ Cruiser maintains a loyal following. Fully capable of traversing California’s famed Rubicon Trail, the FJ Cruiser is also well suited for everyday driving, offering plenty of utility for all types of activities. The FJ Cruiser borrows design cues from Toyota’s famed FJ40 4x4 utility vehicle, sold in the U.S. 1960 to 1983 and now sought after by collectors. The thoroughly modern FJ Cruiser updates the classic theme in a contemporary way. The front grille with two round, five-inch headlights recalls the FJ40’s frontal styling, and other heritage design cues include the hood and fender contours and a rear-mounted and exposed full-size spare tire with an off-center license plate mount. The FJ Cruiser design offers plenty of functionality. The side access doors open 90 degrees in clamshell fashion for easy rear-seat ingress and egress. A swing-up glass hatch is incorporated into the side-hinged tailgate, opening independently and also useful for accommodating longer items.
