By Mauricio Lezcano / carsntravel.com
The redesigned 2015 Volkswagen Jetta not only brings a sleek new design but also offers customers state of the art technology, creating the ideal combination of Volkswagen design, performance, and world-class engineering.
The 2015 Jetta brings with it a fresh new face and some important updates underneath. The subtly redesigned exterior not only provides the Jetta with a crisp new look, but also helps increase the overall efficiency of the car by improving the aerodynamics. Additionally, the 2015 Jetta features an updated interior, and a host of newly available driver assistance systems.
At the front, the coupe-like incline of the windshield and the consistent use of horizontal lines define the modern Jetta design. To this, the 2015 model brings a redesigned radiator grille with three cross fins, a new bumper, and available Bi-Xenon headlights with Adaptive Front-lighting System. These Bi-Xenon units have a distinctive design and unmistakable signature, with each daytime running light being formed by 15 LEDs arranged in an L-shaped string alongside and beneath the xenon modules. This new look is further accentuated by a chrome element between the LED daytime running lights and the xenon lights. The visual band formed by the radiator grille and headlight clusters, as well as the larger lower air intake, give the Jetta a wider and more substantial appearance. This new look is finished off with optional foglights mounted in the outer areas of the bumper.
The 2015 Jetta features an updated rear design, including a new trunk lid, taillights, emblems, and bumper. The new trunk lid features an aerodynamic trailing edge an integrated spoiler that lines up with the car’s silhouette near the character line, extending elegantly into the rear fenders. A redesigned Volkswagen logo sits just below the trunk lid, flanked by available LED taillights with a bright accent stripe. Along with the trunk lid’s prominent side lines and new bumper design, these elements define the new rear look of 2015 Jetta models.
For 2015, updates to the Jetta cabin are subtle but significant. The instrument cluster gauges are now framed in chrome and have a new tunnel design. Elsewhere, the new Jetta offers several optional features based on trim, a new multifunction steering wheel; redesigned air vent controls; interior piano black and chrome accents; ambient lighting; and new seating fabrics. Standard equipment and options packages have been updated and reconfigured throughout the model line-up and now include a selection of new driver assistance systems.
Premium features that are offered on Jetta’s various trims include: a six-way power driver’s seat; a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel; dual-zone automatic climate control; a sunroof; a soft-touch dashboard; two-tone V-Tex leatherette seating surfaces; RNS 315 navigation system; Fender Premium Audio System; Keyless access with push-button start; Volkswagen Car-Net connected services; and a rearview camera.
A number of new driver assistance systems will be offered on the Jetta, including Blind Spot Monitor plus Rear Traffic Alert and Forward Collision Warning. Also available are the new Bi-Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights and the Adaptive Front-lighting System, in which the headlights track the Jetta’s steering angle and can turn up to 15 degrees in response, helping to better illuminate corners in turns.
These systems are either standard or optional depending on trim. Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert and Forward Collision Warning are available in the Driver Assistance Package, which can be had on SE with Connectivity and Navigation.
The Jetta 1.8T models feature the third-generation EA888 turbocharged and direct-injection four-cylinder engine. This 1.8-liter engine produces 170 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and a broad torque plateau of 184 lb-ft from 1,500 to 4,750 rpm. The EPA estimated fuel economy rating is 25 mpg city and 37 mpg highway when equipped with either the five-speed manual or the six-speed automatic transmissions.
Starting at $22,325 and only available with a six-speed automatic transmission, the SE with Connectivity builds on the features included on the SE and adds: body-color exterior mirrors with turn signal indicators; chrome front grille and window trim; 16-inch Arlington aluminum alloy wheels; front and rear carpet floor mats; V-Tex leatherette seating surfaces; rear seat pass-through and armrest; driver seat lumbar adjustment; leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel and handbrake; power tilt and slide sunroof; rearview camera; Premium VIII touchscreen radio; and Volkswagen Car-Net connected car features.
mlezcano@carsntravel.com
