First Impressions: 2019 Volkswagen Jetta
2019 Volkswagen Jetta Volkswagen’s entry-level sedan has been redesigned specifically for North America. By Cherise Threewitt, Contributor, Car-ED.com | May 2018 One of the highlights of the Midwest Automotive Media Association annual Spring Rally was the presence of the fully redesigned 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The rally, which takes place at Wisconsin’s Road America, had plenty of exciting vehicles, to be sure. We at car-ED have a long and rich history with VW, however, so the new Jetta was a must-drive. The powers that be at VW didn’t let us take the Jetta out on the track, but we got some solo time around the area’s lakes and country clubs. Here’s what we learned. The new Jetta now rides on the MBQ modular platform, which VW has been using for several years, and comes with a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that is rated for a modest 147 horsepower. A six-speed manual transmission comes standard in the base model, but most cars will get the optional eight-speed automatic. Acceleration is solid, not particularly sporty, but the engine and automatic transmission feel like and a good pair and we liked the tight handling. The two-tone upholstery is nice, but we thought there was a little too much texture in the cabin. Our test car featured a soft-ish to the touch upper dash, brushed metal accents across the middle, and a weird, shiny, wallpaper-like material on [...]