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 November 2, 2007 Test Drive: 2008 Volkswagen City Jetta
Discuss this story in the forum at CarTalkCanada Photo Gallery: 2008 Volkswagen City Jetta Surrey, British Columbia - Not sold in the U.S., the Volkswagen City Jetta was intended as a stop-gap emergency measure by VW of Canada, like income tax - only much better. Originally intended to fill a sales void left when VW discovered its diesel engine didn't meet new emission regulations, the City Jetta is not only still around, there's a revamped City Jetta for '08.
The base price for an '08 City Jetta sedan is $16,900 and the City Golf, its hatchback sibling, starts at $15,300: quite a deal when you consider that a (city-less) base '08 Jetta is $6,575 more and the base version of the new VW Rabbit is $4,875 more than a City Golf. Granted you're not comparing a Granny Smith apple with a Granny Smith apple, but they are apples. All are German engineered and made by the same company, all be it in different countries. Both Jetta and City Jetta are made in Mexico, the Golf in Brazil, and Rabbit in Germany.
Mechanically, both City cars are the same and feature a 2.0-litre, 115-h.p., four-cylinder engine. A five-speed manual transmission is standard. New this year is an optional six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. On the safety front, side airbags are optional ($410) and so is electronic stability control ($450), which VW calls ESP. Well worth the extra investment, ESP also integrates an electronic differential lock, anti-slip regulation traction control and emergency brake assistant.
The City Jetta also stacks up well against other sedans in the highly competitive econo-car class, where it's up against cars like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Nissan Sentra, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Spectra, Chevy Cobalt, Pontiac G5, and the new Ford Focus. An optional Comfort Package ($975) includes power windows, heated exterior mirrors, cruise control and 15-inch aluminum wheels. A Cold Weather Package ($275) includes heated front seats and heated windshield washer nozzles.
Styling
The '08 City still rides on the last-generation Jetta chassis, but apart from the roof and doors, almost every body panel has been redesigned. The most noticeable changes are the front and rear revisions, which include new headlights, taillights and grille. I particularly like the clever way that the large VW badge on the trunk also acts as a release handle for the lid. And the rear doors are surprisingly large, which helps entry and exits.
Interior impressions
It's a familiar-looking interior layout, but a nice one. The cloth seats are typical of VW, on the firm side with very good lateral support on the cushion and back. It may be a low-price car, but the interior certainly doesn't have a cheap feel.
Can't say the same about the rear: it's a comfortable seat but knee room is limited. Moving further back, a 60/40 split folding rear seat extends an already spacious trunk that's fully lined.
The standard audio system features both an input jack and a USB port for an auxiliary digital music player. However, a better placement for these inputs would be inside a storage compartment, so that the player would be out of sight.
The Jetta has a good safety record. I would prefer to see side air bags and stability control standard, but at least they are available. There are no major issues with child-seat installation other than space. The seat in front needed to be moved forward to about the halfway position on its track, in order to accommodate a rear facing child seat.
Driving impressions
The 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine growls a bit as it works to get up to highway speed, but while cruising along, it's actually fairly quiet. The 0-100 km/h in 10.4 seconds claimed by Volkswagen is respectable and fuel economy is excellent.
There's a dramatic change in attitude when you switch from D (normal drive) to S, the sport drive position on the shift lever. The engine revs go up as it stays in each gear longer and the shifts are more abrupt, particularly noticeable on downshifts.
In the driver's seat, you sit quite tall for a small sedan, and driver vision is generally pretty good. The steering is nicely weighted, although some drivers might find it on the heavy side, and it has an agile feel on the road.
Verdict
Basically a modern version of the last generation Volkswagen Jetta, the City Jetta gives VW a genuine challenger in the cost-conscious, econo-car market.
Pricing: 2008 Volkswagen City Jetta
Specifications
Competitors
Related articles on CanadianDriver
Crash test results
Manufacturer's web site
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