The subtle updates on the Volkswagen Jetta facelift have made the sedan even more appealing and certainly makes a statement with its timeless design, says Faisal Ali Khan from MotorBeam.com.
While the Polo and Vento are Volkswagen India's mass market offerings, there is also the Jetta which despite being expensive caters to a larger audience but sadly has gone unnoticed in the SUV brigade.
That said, the fifth generation Jetta offers impeccable build quality along with a powerful powertrain on offer and the German auto giant most recently updated the D-segment sedan with some subtle tweaks.
Simple and elegant has been the mantra for Volkswagen and the 2015 Jetta facelift evolves on the same parameters.
Featuring a timeless design that won't age for more years to come, the Jetta gets mild tweaks to the front fascia including a revised 3-slat chrome grille, redesigned bumper with new air intake styling and fog lamp cluster while the headlight cluster gets new LED DRLs with Bi-Xenon lights that is available on the top variants.
The side profile gets no changes here, but the rear sports the sharply designed Audi-esque tail lights along with a restyled bumper.
Volkswagen has also updated the colour palette with the Silk Blue Metallic shade which looks gorgeous.
The interiors get no drastic changes on the 2015 Volkswagen Jetta but revisions are plenty with the most prominent being the new flat-bottom steering wheel carried over from the smaller Vento and Polo models and comes with the cool paddle shifters.
You also get a revised instrument cluster with 3D effect while there is also the new Fatigue Detection System on board.
The infotainment system has been retained from the older version which features a 6 CD changer, AUX, Bluetooth connectivity and 8 speakers.
There is plenty of legroom at the front and rear while headroom is sufficient as well.
The cabin gets finished in black and beige colours with subtle chrome inserts, but the faux wood panels do look tacky on the dash and should have been omitted.
Sporting an impeccable fit and finish all over, the Jetta comes with a boot capacity of 510-litres.
The new Jetta facelift continues with the existing 1.4-litre TSI petrol and 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine options, but misses out on the ostentatious 1.8-litre TSI motor available on its sibling, the Skoda Octavia.
The 1.4 petrol though still makes good power offering 122 PS and 200 Nm, paired to a 6-speed gearbox.
The engine is well refined and offers a fuel economy figure of 14.69 km/l. Coming to diesel power, the 2.0 TDI motor belts out 140 PS and 320 Nm of torque, paired to a 6-speed manual and DSG gearbox options. Both the transmissions are fun to drive but is the manual that appeals more to the heart.
Shifts on the DSG autobox are seamless and also allows for better a fuel efficiency figure of 16.96 km/l (all mileage numbers are ARAI certified).
The Jetta features a multi-link suspension on all variants and comes with an extremely impressive balance between ride and handling.
Even though the ride is stiffer at low speeds, the German feels planted once you floor the gas pedal and absorbs bumps, potholes and tarmac maturely.
Based on the PQ71 platform, the Jetta is able to take on the straights and the twisties with equal ease and gets a responsive steering that is light at low speeds and weighs up well as the speed increases. Stopping performance is effective with precise feedback.
Volkswagen could have made some extensive visual upgrades to the 2015 Jetta facelift but missed out on the opportunity. Nonetheless, the D-segment sedan does get some very appealing and subtle changes to the exteriors that lend a breath of fresh air while the interior continues with the old look but comes loaded with new premium touches and equipment on offer.
The Germans haven't made any mechanical changes to the 2015 Jetta facelift retaining the sorted underpinnings as well as the TSI and TDI motors on the car that makes it a driver's delight.
