[lamboguy]

A Brief Background:

It all began in January 2011. Since our current Honda City had completed its 7 glorious years, the long subdued topic of a new car was revived.

First a little background. We are a small family of 3. Dad, Mom and Me. The car was going to replace the Honda City (2004). Usage consists ofdaily commute by dad to and fro office, say 50-80 kms/day. It was going to be chauffuer driven for 5 days a week and on the weekends, the car would be all mine. Keeping this in mind, our hunt for the new car started.

Initially it was all casual. In fact our parameters were so wide, we had not even narrowed down which segment to go for! (not below the C seg though). The confusion was:
-Get a C segment car now and let the chauffeur ruin it (yes thats what we call it), then after a couple of years, get rid of the Swift (we own) and buy a nice 3 series/ C class seg ride as a personal car.
-Get a decent c+ segment car now and use it sparingly along with the current City for daily commute.

The Options:

On the back of our mind we knew that we were going to get a C+ segment car. So our options were:
1. Honda CiVic.
2. Toyota Corolla Altis
3. Skoda Laura
4. Volkswagen Jetta
5. Chevy Cruze

(All are in the order of preference)

Let me begin from the end:
5. Chevy Cruze: This was JUST an option. Dad being a Honda fanatic does not trust the Americans in terms of their quality and After sales. Result: Cruze was bluntly ruled out even without a test drive

4. Volkswagen Jetta (1.8 diesel): (Let me remind you, in January, the 2011 Jetta was no where on the radar. Even the dealers were hesitant to disclose any details about it lest their current stock wouldnt be cleared) We took a test drive of the old Jetta. There was nothing about the car that we thought made the Jetta stand out of the rest of the crowd. Before proceeding, I have a confession to make. I had never driven a diesel car in my life before except my uncle's Indica that too for a brief spell eons ago. On test driving I found the car to be too sluggish and due to my petrolhead driving style the car stuttured and shut down a few times. Same went for dad. REJECTED. (MISTAKE). Later on when took my Uncle's Jetta for a long drive, my mind changed. But thats a different story altogether.

3. Laura: We liked the car more because the petrol one had a fat Rs. 1 Lac discount on it. Again due to the horror after sales services of Skoda India, we chose to drop it. As simple as that.

2. Toyota Corolla Altis (1.8 petrol): Personally I did not like the car. Apart from the steering, suspension and ride quality, nothing 'felt' so C+ segmenty in the car. In fact, everytime looked at it or sat in it I felt as if it was a blown up version of my current City (Japanese connection?) But then as the Altis is known as a 40+ age group car, my dad loved it. He kept saying it was a "Standard Car". It was hassle free, had low maintenance, good FE etc. I understood all that and believe me I am a carbon copy of my dad when it comes to taking a long term decision. But Altis never made an impact on me!

1. Honda CiVic: I look at it years after it is launched and each time I go "OOooohh Maaan!!!" You could say that the CiVic was my First love (after the City ofcourse). Now I am sure most of the BHPians know what I am talking about here. The letdown here was the launch of the Newer generation CiVic in a year. Psychologically, although new, you start feeling your car has become old when a newer generation comes along. Then there is also the drop in revaluation while selling. This however did not deter me from vouching for the CiVic.

The Selection Story:
The battle between the Honda and Toyota lasted for 2 months in our house and finally we decided to book the Altis in March end. The booking amount cheque was given. Colour finalised and delivery date was given. The next day while I was surfing Team BHP, I stumbled upon a thread about the 2011 Facelift of the Altis. Showed it to my dad and immediate stop payment was done for the booking amount. We decided to wait.

---

Then came JUNE. The facelifted Altis was launched with a six speed manual petrol version. What was there to think? We HAD to book the car. Paid a visit to the nearest Toyota showroom and were satisfied with the new subtle changes in the car. Dad was going to book it but I told him that since the gearbox and engine was upgraded, let us first take a test drive. And test drive we took! Though the Altis is the 40+ age group car, my dad who was in love with the car outright rejected it! Reason? He (and I) felt that the 6 speed gearbox had taken the already boring driveability levels of the Altis and elevated them to new heights. The car lacked power. Even overtaking a slow bus needed 2 downshifts. (no offence to Altis owners intended. It is still a great car)

So now what? The issue was left hanging.

---

It was mid August and VW finally unveiled the new Jetta. I saw the pics and was disappointed and a bit angry too. Why the Vento face VW?? WHY?????
However this anguish was short lived till I saw it in person. The car 'magically' didnt resemble the Vento. In fact it looked more like the Passat.

First Look and Test Drive:
I had been to VW Chembur since it was nearby to my place. The Sales guy attended us in a jiffy (we were the only customers there). But sadly the guy knew absolutely nothing about the car. Infact me and my dad educated him more about the car. Also, since there was no TD vehicle available, I told him to inform me when it does come. No intimation till date.

Since I had called up just dial for the VW Chembur's number, I got a call from VW Thane the next day. I informed them to provide me a TD once the car comes. I got a call from VW Thane in a couple of days and the car was sent to my residence in Ghatkopar from Thane (for those unfamiliar with Mumbai, its not that near). When I TestDrove the car, I realised I was the first person they sent the car to for test drive. I was flattered. By now I was familiar how diesel cars drove (remember about my long drive in uncle's old Jetta?) This one felt even more powerful than the outgoing one. The torque on this car -- amazing. The leg room was mindblowing! The car gobbled up potholes as they werent there! More on this later. We were in love with the car. This is the first car which me and my dad unanimously agreed upon!

Judgement day:
So the decision was made and the car was booked at Volkswagen Downtown Mumbai. The only issue was the colour. Though the Toffee Brown was our favourite, we somehow felt that unlike the Vento, Jetta looked better in lighter shades (this opinion is very subjective). White? A bit difficult maintaining. Silver? We already had a silver City in the house. The other option was Leaf Silver. This was a totally unknown colour to me. But still we took a call and went for it based on the tiny shade card. It took us 2 hours to decide the colour! We finalised on the Comfortline because, well, the trendline was too basic and highline was not preferable due to the price.

There were no discounts available and the on road price came to Rs. 18lac - Mumbai - Individual registration.
Estimated delivery period 28days.

Delivery day:
It was the 28th day. We Were the first to reach the VW Downtown showroom at 10 a.m.. The place was kinda over crowded due to 55 odd deliveries in one day (the adjacent Honda showroom was deserted). The reason for the rush was end of "Shraad" period. However due to certain technical difficulty at their workshop, the final PDI was delayed. Never the less, one look at the car and everything was forgiven as the dealership execs were very co operative and did the best they could.

At the time of writing this report the car had clocked 500kms.

[lamboguy]

The Car:

The Good:
-Ride Quality
-Huuuuuge Legroom (due to the length of the caaaaar)
-Very comfy rear seat. Sufficient thigh support
-Powerful 140PS engine
-6 Airbags including curtain airbags
-Hill hold control (on flyovers)
-Front parking Sensors (along with the rear ones)
-Multifunction remote key
-Rain Sensing wipers
-Light and Sight package (Auto lights, turn assist fog lights etc.)
-6 Speaker Music system with sd card slot
-All 'Auto up/ down' windows
-Cruise control
-Heated Mirrors
-Soft touch plastics only where required and where wear and tear is least

The Bad:
-Lack of ACC
-No leather Seats
-Costliest car in its segment
-No Atlanta Alloys in Comfortline

Exterior/ Styling:
Front:In photos and videos the car looks ditto like Vento. In person, it does not. The V cut on the hood which starts below the windshield continues right to the bottom of the bumper.The front headlamps lack LED DRLs. Due to the Halogen DRLs, many cars on the road have flashed their headlights indicating that I have mistakenly switched on the headlamps (including an instance where a friendly toll booth guy advised me to turn off the lights).
Rear:The rear is very Audi A4esque. So much so that many a times a few people I know have mistaken A4s to be Jettas. The overall stance of the car is sporty and the rear 3 quarter view is the best angle you could see the car in. If for some reason subtle styling does not impress you, this car is not for you.

The Colour:
This is the hard part. The Leaf Silver colour is inexplicable. All I can say is that the car looks silver from some angles and light golden from other. There is a tint of golden on the silver base. The sad part is the colour cannot be exactly captured on a camera.

Interiors:
Subtle yet elegant. As mentioned before, soft touch plastics are used only on the dashboard. They have been avoided on any part of the interiors where human contact is possible. As pointed out on this forum, in old Jetta, soft touch plastics had durability issues esp. in our climatic conditions and hence this is a welcomed change. The red illumination in EVERY button on the car gives it a very refreshing look at night. The steering is wrapped with black leather. Illuminated buttons on the steering are more of a delight than a distraction.

Space and Comfort:
If I am not mistaken, the New Jetta has the largest legroom in its class. VW claims that the legroom has been increased by 3 inches. The result is astonishing. To give a rough idea, the leg space available in the rear in the Jetta when a 5'8" person is driving the car is equivalent to that available in the City when the front seat is totally pushed forward. Now this is a life saver on long drives and those times when you are stuck up in city traffic. The car is wide enough and the rear seat can easily accommodate 3 adults or 2adults + 2 toddlers.
The front seats, though not as great as the outgoing Jetta Highline ones, do provide good lumbar support (adjustable) and shoulder support. The manual levers on Comfortline for seat adjustment are a bit awkward to use.

Performance & Driveability:
Torque Torque Torque! The car feels a lot more powerfull than the outgoing one. The increase in power and torque is very noticeable. For city driving, the torque delivery is amazing at at lower RPMs. The car happily moves in city traffic at 16kph on clutch @ 900 RPM in the 2nd gear. The power delivery is almost linear. The turbo kicks in at somewhere around 1800 RPMs and you feel a big tug. Though the turbo lag exists, it is minimal. The gear ratios are very well synced with the 2.0 litre turbo engine. The engine really opens up after 1800-2000RPM in the third gear. 0-80 is a breeze. The max I have done is 125-130 on this car yet and the engine never seems to run out of power. All in all, its a very effortless car to drive. Regardless of what gear you are in, push down the pedal and be rest assured, the car will accelerate.

Fuel Efficiency:
As with most diesel engines, the initial fuel efficiency figures are always low. However, just to give a rough idea, in city driving conditions, the max I have been able to get in this car is 17kmpl. On an average the MFD shows anything between 11-15kmpl. (my dad had once managed to get 7.2kmpl and I really do not want to know how)

Ride, Suspension and handling:
The Indian spec Jetta gets independent suspensions unlike the U.S. one. The suspension has been hardened up than the outgoing Jetta. Yet it soaks up all the potholes and bumps comfortably. The hardened suspension inspires great confidence at higher speeds. Body roll is virtually absent even at 3 digit speeds. Road grip is amazing with the 205/55 R15's. However, on the downside, the tires do make considerable road noise at higher speed. Now I do not know if it is me or not, but the noise has seemed to become less with the car being driven more.

Steering and brakes:
While test driving other cars, I found that the steering on the CiVic was a tad bit on the heavier side. While this was good for the high speed runs, city driving was a pain. Whereas on the Altis, the steering was just too light- good for city driving. Scary on highways. The Jetta steering is right in between the two. No complaints here. The brakes on Jetta are the most sensitive ones I have ever come across. If you are driving the Jetta for the first time, you will definitely brake hard initially and end up being cursed by the passengers.

This pretty much sums up the initial impressions of the car. Please feel to ask any questions or queries about the car and I shall be happy to address them.

P.S. The September sales figures are out and the Jetta has surpassed its cousin, The Laura.

[lamboguy]

Here are a few pics of the car. They can not be compared to the ones taken by Rudra. Yet my humble effort.

Exterior







DRLs




My favorite angle - The Audi resemblance.

[lamboguy]

Interiors:







The red illumination

[lamboguy]

Misc:

Cruise Control Stalk on Comfortline


Maximum possible leg room. (The rear seat is still not used. Courtesy: awesome engine)


One of the few options on the MFD


Parking Sensor button, AUX in, 12V outlet


Sharkfin antenna


A couple of night shots




That's all folks!

[Rudra Sen]

Mods note: thread moved to Test-Drives & Initial Ownership Reports. Thanks for sharing.

[mb_jg]

Congratulations on the purchase, good choice!!! I am a bit envious, look at all that legroom!!!!!!

[dkaile]

Congratulations lamboguy on owning one of my fav shortlisted sedans. And that too in the exact shade and trim level that I loved.

You are absolutely bang on that pictures don't do justice to the car. It needs to be seen in the flesh, which I discovered recently on my visit to the VW showroom.

Could you clarify certain facts-
- Incidently the website mentions "RCD 300 Plus" music system with CD player, Aux-in and 8 speakers" whereas you mentioned 6 speakers. Also is there any option to upgrade to the "RCD 510" touch screen music system with 6 CD changer, SD Card reader, Aux-in and 8 speakers" system as in the Highline and if yes, then at what extra cost.
- Also the website does not mention Cruise control on the comfortline whereas you have confirmed that it is there. I hope it is working and not a dummy.

Kindly also elaborate the other differences that you found from the company brochure's specification/feature list.

[shashank.nk]

Congrats on the Jetta! Sure is a brilliant car, never knew the legroom was so good.

You are right, the car looks a lot better when seen in real as i experienced a few days back. Wish you thousands of happy and safe kms in your new car

Btw, how much more was the DSG when compared to the comfortline ? Any specific reason you didn't consider it ?

[plimsollmark]

Lamboguy a very succinct and to the point write up ! The car oozes quality. In fact in my personal opinion this is way ahead of the Laura.
If I may ask, weren't you tempted by the paddleshift available in the top end model?

Cheers and happy driving.

[druk75]

Fantastic! Superlative snaps, dude..... How true a picture says more than a 1000 words.

Now the Rudra Effect is so infectious, that eveyone is trying hard and pulling all strings to get teh best of photography out of themselves! Beautiful pictures. And the color is so stately and elegant. I went and had a look at my Jetta at the showroom, it looked so enchanting in silver leaf. You sure have a mini review put up, in the style of a true bhpian. Wonderful effort. Very very good.


I agree that lack of ACC is the only glaring minus. And yes, the Atlantya alloys are wonderful. When I asked my dealer for an exchange, he quoted 75 grands plus the Navara alloys!

Originally Posted by dkaile

Congratulations lamboguy on owning one of my fav shortlisted sedans. And that too in the exact shade and trim level that I loved.

You are absolutely bang on that pictures don't do justice to the car. It needs to be seen in the flesh, which I discovered recently on my visit to the VW showroom.

Could you clarify certain facts-
- Incidently the website mentions "RCD 300 Plus" music system with CD player, Aux-in and 8 speakers" whereas you mentioned 6 speakers. Also is there any option to upgrade to the "RCD 510" touch screen music system with 6 CD changer, SD Card reader, Aux-in and 8 speakers" system as in the Highline and if yes, then at what extra cost.
- Also the website does not mention Cruise control on the comfortline whereas you have confirmed that it is there. I hope it is working and not a dummy.

Kindly also elaborate the other differences that you found from the company brochure's specification/feature list.

You cannot upgrade to RCD 510.

It has only 6 speakers. * speakers in Highline.

The website carries many mistakes like the infamous 139 Ground-clearencegate issue. Do not believe everything in it. The specs don't even mention cornering lights. And says that Comfortline does not have a chrome strip on the front airdam. Also mistakes.

[VW2010]

"RCD 510" touch screen music system with 6 CD changer, SD Card reader, Aux-in and 8 speakers" system as in the Highline and if yes, then at what extra cost.

The RCD510 can be fit along with the extra speakers. My guess is the cost would be on the upward of 70K and would not be surprised if they ask for 1L.

Instead you can get a navigation system along with Video playback and all the other features from the service centre by retrofitting the one that comes for Vento. Thats even cheaper with Navigation.

You cannot upgrade to RCD 510.

There is enough space to fit the RCD or RNS series while the 8 speaker requires some mods. I think the US version of VW 2011 comes with RCD510 only.

[coolkid]

Originally Posted by lamboguy

Ride, Suspension and handling:
The Indian spec Jetta gets independent suspensions unlike the U.S. one. The suspension has been hardened up than the outgoing Jetta. Yet it soaks up all the potholes and bumps comfortably. The hardened suspension inspires great confidence at higher speeds. Body roll is virtually absent even at 3 digit speeds. Road grip is amazing with the 205/55 R15's. However, on the downside, the tires do make considerable road noise at higher speed. Now I do not know if it is me or not, but the noise has seemed to become less with the car being driven more.

These are the stock tyres, right? Is it goodyear? What are the recommended tyre pressures by VW?
Thank you.

[Santoshbhat]

Congratulations on your new Jetta. The car looks simply brilliant. Just love the understated and timeless European designs.

Originally Posted by lamboguy

The Bad:

-No Atlanta Alloys in Comfortline

Didn't you try to for an exchange deal with the dealer?

Originally Posted by lamboguy

Road grip is amazing with the 205/55 R15's. However, on the downside, the tires do make considerable road noise at higher speed. Now I do not know if it is me or not, but the noise has seemed to become less with the car being driven more.

I think you mean 205/55/R16's. Those Goodyears NCTs suck big time. Swap them for some good rubber from Michelin or Yokohama and you'll be surprised with the difference in the ride and noise levels.

[acsandeep]

congratulations on your new ride,looking hot
can you please tell me the difference in features of comfortline and highline along with price difference?,and why you didn"t considered the Fluence??,it is also a good car?