New Models
New Models

2018 Volkswagen Jetta unveiled

The new Volkswagen Jetta has made its debut at the 2018 Detroit motor show, but the sleeker-looking sedan is unlikely to grace Australian showrooms.


Unlike the current car, the new Jetta is based on the MQB platform for front- and all-wheel drive cars with a transverse engine. The new sedan is one of the last mainstream models in the Volkswagen range to transition onto MQB.

At launch in the US, the Jetta will be powered exclusively by a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine generating 110kW of power and 249Nm of torque. It can be paired with either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission with automatic engine stop/start.

In the States, the new model has a slightly lower starting price than the outgoing car, but gains soft-touch materials for the interior, a feature ditched in the last generation for most Jetta models sold Stateside.

Compared to the current sedan, the new model is said to be longer, wider, and taller, but has shorter overhangs. Aside from the wheelbase, which has grown from 2652mm to 2685mm, the company has yet to put numbers to any of the car's key dimensions.

Available features include heated and cooled front seats, power seat adjustment up front, dual-zone climate control, customisable ambient lighting, a configurable digital instrument display, and a touchscreen infotainment system compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Cars equipped with the R-Line pack not only gain sportier styling inside and out, but also benefit from the company's XDS electronic differential.

In addition to the standard reversing camera, the new Jetta's safety equipment stretches to autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beam operation, lane keeping assistance, and automatic post-collision braking.

Australia

The Jetta goes on sale in the US during the second quarter of 2018. Late last year a Volkswagen Australia representative informed CarAdvice the new Jetta will only be produced in left-hand drive, therefore ruling it out of contention for the local range.

Chat with us!







Chat with Agent