Engine, Drivetrain - Volkswagen Jetta road test

Diesel noisy but better performer than petrol. Gearbox has lovely feel.

Engine, Drivetrain

Prospective Jetta owners can choose from a petrol or diesel engine. The petrol is a 1.6l SOHC workhorse that puts out 102bhp@5600rpm and 148Nm@3800rpm. The numbers don't seem like much when you consider competition like the Civic and Corolla are hovering around the 130bhp mark, but the engine is exceedingly driveable. Our in-gear acceleration times show the amount of torque this motor has spread over a wide range. If you're a petrolhead ruing the fact that the 170bhp TSI Jetta hasn't been brought to the Indian market yet, don't fret unduly. A little birdie tells us that a slightly detuned TSI that will run on regular fuel will probably be launched by next year, and testing is going on right now.

The diesel unit is the same one that does duty under the Skoda Laura's hood. This turbocharged unit makes 105bhp@4000rpm and 250Nm@1900rpm from 1.9 litres. That high torque figure means it is way more responsive than the petrol model, itself no slouch. The motor is raucous like all unit injector powerplants are, but the inside of the car is reasonably hushed when the windows are rolled up.

The petrol's five-speed shifter is positive, has delightful short throws and you're never in doubt whether you're in gear or not. This is a gearbox we love, even if we wish for better feel while slotting into third and fifth. The diesel's DSG is also the same basic architecture as the Laura's, but it seems to perform slightly better in the Laura. As we found out, 'S' mode really does shift faster and more intelligently than 'D' mode. One can have fun with the paddles behind the wheel as well. The gearbox will not let you downshift if it detects that the change of gear will take the engine beyond the redline, even in manual mode.