Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 Turbo FSI 2007 Review

Road Test

With small cars booming in the sales charts and the seemingly ever-constant demand for performance in a compact package, there has been no shortage of makers keen to cash in. Most have gone the traditional hatch route, however, for those buyers who prefer a sedan, go-fast four-doors at the smaller end of the size spectrum have been thin on the ground.

We can chose among the Mitsubishi EVOs and Subaru WRXs as well as products from luxury makers like BMW, but in the middle market, if you wanted a small performance-oriented sedan, they were in short supply.

Enter Volkswagen with its turbocharged, four-cylinder Jetta. While it's not a 'balls-out' rally-inspired rocket like the Subaru or Mitsubishi, it certainly doesn't shy away from delivering the goods when the road gets twisty or the driver is hit with a dose of enthusiasm.

At the heart of the TFSI is a 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder petrol engine that comes straight out of the Jetta's hatchback sibling, the Golf GTi. Mated to a six-speed DSG automated manual gearbox, the engine produces maximum power of 147kW at 5100-6000rpm and peak torque of 280Nm between 1800-5000rpm. And it is the latter figure that counts most -- it's not so much that the torque figure is huge but the spread over which the peak is delivered that makes the Jetta such an enjoyable car to drive.

With a firm dump on the accelerator pedal, the Jetta surges off the line with a degree of enthusiasm that belies its relatively conservative visuals. For apart from the 'spot-the-difference' 15mm lower suspension, front fogs and bigger 17-inch alloys, the car's exterior styling mirrors the turbodiesel and 'atmo' petrol models.

From a rolling start, there's just a whisper of turbo lag and then it simply picks up its skirts and runs with whatever sort of drive you want. Keep the loud pedal flattened and the engine will rev right through to 6000rpm before the slick DSG shifts itself up a ratio with barely a physical register.

To make the most of the strong midrange for instantaneous and urgent in-gear acceleration, you can make the shifts yourself via the gearshift lever. A quick flick is all that is required to shift up and down the gears.

More moderate use of the accelerator simply produces a strong, smooth and willing motivation that is more than enough to keep ahead of the urban traffic flow with the combination turbo four and twin-clutch DSG box delivering a suitably effective and efficient means of getting around town. As to the latter, even driving relatively hard over a 285km country run, the Carsales Network still managed to return a good economy figure of 9.0lt/100km against the listed combined ADR number of 8.0lt/100km.

With its lowered and firmer suspension, you do notice small bumps and ruts at lower speeds -- perhaps a little more than you would like, but it never really becomes uncomfortable and as the speed increases, the car's suppleness improves. As you would expect, the payoff is solid and secure handling with the car sitting flat through corners and offering agility to develop a good fluid line along a twisting blacktop.

The 225/45 17-inch rubber can get a little vocal when pushed but it never feels like it is about to let go, with plenty of grip from the tyres and a well balanced composure from the competent chassis.

As to the rest of the car, it shares the Jetta range's good points with a few extra bonuses. The already comfortable and supportive seats are upgraded to sports level with bigger side bolsters for solid lateral support and the high quality CD audio system gets a six-stacker and 10 speakers.

As with the rest of the lineup, the well-finished and stylish interior space is almost medium car size with plenty of room in the rear for a couple of adults. The boot is huge for a car of this size.

The turbo Jetta is not a Golf GTi with a boot but it comes pretty damn close. For those that want the extra space and more conservative visuals, it offers a very appealing alternative.

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