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2019 Volkswagen Jetta Execline

The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta has been completely redesigned. It’s larger in and out with a wheelbase now at 105.7 inches. Front passengers get a little more room and passengers in the back seat get 1.8 inches more legroom than in the Golf.
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REFINED INTERIOR – The inside of the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta Execline, which features a well thought out instrument panel. Controls, including those for heating and air conditioning, are well placed in front of the driver.

The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta has been completely redesigned. It’s larger in and out with a wheelbase now at 105.7 inches. Front passengers get a little more room and passengers in the back seat get 1.8 inches more legroom than in the Golf. The Jetta through all its generations has always been a good, sometimes really good car. Now the Jetta shines in all categories.

Power is provided by a 1.4 litre, 16 valve, turbocharged, intercooled four-cylinder engine putting out 147 horsepower. It’s peppy enough around town but to really move along when passing its best to gear down and get the revs up. When you do, the engine responds quickly and passing happens easily and with little drama on a two-lane stretch of highway.

If you order the eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission, it upshifts nicely and quickly if one needs to do that. This combo at legal highway speed resulted in 5.5L/100km fuel consumption. This gives an owner 750 kilometres cruising range with the 50-litre tank. Great car for a long road trip, eh?

My test Execline model is the top equipped of the three Jetta models. All have a refined interior that boasts lots of amenities, along with sophisticated technology, including Electronic Stability Control, App-Connect Smartphone integration and an eight-inch touch-screen radio canted toward the driver. You can also get satellite navigation.

The Execline also gives you a choice of driving mode selection – Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport and Individual at your fingertips with touch-screen activation.

 

As you would expect in a German-engineered car, the instrument panel and controls are well thought out with no silly gimmicks. There are actual knobs where you need them like heating and air conditioning, volume and tuning for the sound system. Controls are well placed in front of the driver and easy to use so he or she doesn’t get distracted while at speed. The driver gets clear information on engine rpm and speed with other readouts smaller, but still legible at a glance.

 

Its quiet inside even at highway speed and seating comfort is good for front-seat driver and passenger. Rear-seat passengers are easily accommodated as long they don’t have long legs.

There’s lots of glass area to look at the outside world which is important for shoulder checking and looking at your surroundings.

The stereo system puts out a great sound and you have enough places to store your stuff in the passenger cabin.

In the back, the trunk is huge, long and deep. Flip down the rear-seat backs and cargo capacity opens up more. This makes the Jetta extremely versatile for carrying people and things.

There were a couple of opportunities for some highway time and I found the Jetta a treat on the open road. I put the driving mode selector in “Comfort” most of the time which softens the ride but with enough firmness to let you know the car won’t ride sloppy out of a tight curve.

The front suspension consists of MacPherson struts with lower control arms and coil springs. On the rear is a not-so-sophisticated torsion-twist-beam with coil springs and telescopic dampers. This setup is a little simpler in design but doesn’t take away from the Jetta’s good handling. It also allows for a flatter trunk floor and in turn more cargo capacity. It’s rated at 399 litres cargo capacity.

The 2019 Jetta carries on as a reliable, solid sedan feeling very much like previous generation models but of course much more refined and better built. Is it any wonder there are so many loyal Jetta owners?

Base price is $20,995 for the basic Comfortline model with six-speed manual transmission. Getting the Tiptronic automatic will cost you another $2,000 putting you just over $22,000.

The middle Highline model with Tiptronic is $25,495.

My Execline started at $29,095 and with the optional Driver Assist option ($995) pushed the price tag to $30,090. Still reasonable considering the equipment the car came standard with. If only they offered a wagon. Oh well, there are some wagon options with other VW models.

Read more of Garry Melnyk’s Auto Talk at https://www.stalbertgazette.com/st-albert/scene/auto-talk

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