Volkswagen Jetta

In profile the jetta has a strong, dynamic stance and is handsome in the conventional sense. Extended rear overhang looks a little awkward from some angles.

Spoilt for choice. That's what every a magazine will tell you - that you, the customers are king and that every, segment has more options than you handle.

Really?
Apart from small cars, every other segment has a default option which you'd be an idiot to deviate from. Entry level sedans? Swift DZire. A step up? Honda City. A step higher? Skoda Octavia. These are the default options, cars with which you simply can't go wrong. And it's the same in the D-segment -the Honda Civic.

Now there's no doubting the Honda's competence but if we're being very honest, the Toyota Corolla is a better all-round automobile. it rides better, is built better, is cheaper, has a more powerful and usable engine and is more fuel efficient. But you'll never hear anybody recommending the Corolla over the Civic because it looks horribly anonymous. And everybody knows it's on its way out. So you're left with the Honda Civic and if you want a diesel engine, you either go one segment lower or a segment higher. There really is no option to the Civic.

Which is where the Volkswagen Jetta comes in. Volkswagen might only be a bit player in India, assembling the Passat at subsidiary Skoda's plant at Aurangabad and selling a few other CBUs. But its plans for India are truly massive - the greenfield plant coming up at Chakan (near Pune) with a capacity of 110,000 cars is already a year ahead of schedule with the first of the cars (the Fabia) scheduled to roll out early next year. There's an all-new Polo being designed for China and India that's in the pipeline for 2010, followed by the rear-engine Up! concept which will really give the likes of Maruti, Tata and Hyundai serious headaches. And there already is Skoda to give VW a multi-pronged attack on the Indian market.

Volkswagen though really does want to get India right; after all, along with China the big growth push in the coming years is going to come from here. Which is why the slow and steady approach. Which is why there are only six dealerships operational at the moment; it doesn't want to make the same mistakes Skoda has. That's why there's only the Passat (assembled in India in not so great volumes) and Touareg sold in India - to build the VW name and reputation as a maker of premium automobiles. That's also why the next car to be assembled in India, the Jetta, is also a premium automobile, to build the brand and establish its reputationuntil the mass market cars come. A top-down approach in marketing parlance and one that has a history of bringing home the wares, effectively employed in India by all the premium manufacturers and even the Japanese like Toyota and Honda.

It's the latter that will be the most troubled by the launch of the Jetta for it's aimed squarely at the segment dominated by the Civic. Unlike the Corolla which, with its dated looks doesn't pose too much of a challenge, the Jetta, with its typically Germanic visage and sense of solidity poses a real challenge to the Civic on the desirability front.

The Jetta is based on the Golf hatchback, VW's best-selling and most popular model line after Me

Beetle, so popular that it can be found around every street comer in Europe. It makes the Jetta an all too familiar face in Germany. distinguished from the Golf by the chrome grille and number plate surround that's a trademark VW styling cue on all its booted cars and SUVs. However for what is essentially a Golf with a boot tacked on, the design has a proper elegant flow to it and in profile it has the stance of a premium executive saloon. It's a shape that'll cut a distinctive silhouette in India, especially with a number of styling cues

The 1.4-litre TSI petrol is at tile forefront of VW s attempts to downsize its engines to beat spiralling fuel prices arid stricter emission norms while also improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions but not at the expense of power or driveablility. Using a combination of a supercharger (that boosts response arid torque at the low end) and a. turbocharger (that boosts top end power), the incharge unit delivers an astonishing170PS of power (that's a specific Output of 120PS pet litre) and a Mind numbing 240Nm of torque from 15001 pm to 4750 rpm. This is mated to FSl direct injection technology, delivering fuel at high pressurer added combustion efficiency. The claimed 0-100kmpli time is 8.3 seconds which is amazing for such a small engine and on tile road her driveability and flexbility is even more astonishing. The Interiors are typically Germanic, solid, handsome and very well built from high quality materials. Supercharger works till 2400rpmIndia-spec Jettas will get beige leather upholstery. at which point it begins to cis engage though at this point the turbo has already begun provid-ing boost (kicking in at 1500rpm)and thus the switch is seam-less and turbo lag is completely eliminated. The combination of TSI's high power outputs front arelatively small cubic capacities, low b fuel consumption and sparkling performance could mark tile reversal of the trend towards diesel engines - it really is that good!

Alas, the engine won't make it to India - it is high tech so obviously expensive but more importantly it needs 98 octane petrol work properly and, well, with fuel being what it is.... being borrowed from the Passat, particularly around the rear three-quarters. The flow of the C pillar and its intersection with the boot echo that of the Passat while the eye-catching and fast-acting LED tail lamps share the same design.

The Jetta is 300mm longer than the Golf, the increased length going litre carving out a massive 473-litre boot just 40 litres smaller than the Passait. However with the wheel base remaining identical to the Golf, there's no increase in rear leg room resulting in interior room being just about adequate. The cars we drove in Germany weren't in Indian spec and so didn't have the beige two-tone interiors and to upholstery that will come to India. However even in black (which is the accepted norm in Europe), the of quality was just fabulous and strong definitely be one of the strong selling points of the car. The design when be a tad conservative whenyou compare it with the Civic's twin tiered dash and digital speed read- sense but there's an all-pervading sense of elegance, beautiful fit and finish and top drawer build quality. Like the Passat there's a lovely blue and red instrument back-lighting giving it a very attractive feel at night. The Jetta also comes loaded with a slew of safety features like ABS, E

SP and six airbags (with optional side airbags at the rear).

Our test cars also didn't have the India bound engines, namely a 1.6- litre petrol and the 1.9-litre TDI PD diesel from the Passat. The petrol makes 102PS of power at 5600rpm, 148Nm of torque at 380Orpm and is claimed to have a 0-100kmph time of 12.2 seconds and a top speed of 186kmph. The engine we're familiar with is the 1.9 TDI from the Skoda Laura that makes 105PS of power and 250Nm of torque at 1900rpm and in terms of performance, actually outdoes the petrol. However the PD engine has noticeable turbo lag and until it crosses 1900rpm nothing really seems to happen. Cross that mark though and it's like a switch has been flicked on, the power rushing in with a vengeance which can be quite startling in stop-go city traffic conditions. There's however no doubting power and overtaking potential, while the twin-clutch DSG automatic transmission is universally acknowledged to be at the very top of its game. The diesel engine can also be specified with a six-speed manual while the petrol will only get the manual and no automatic.

The car we drove in Germany was powered by VW's award winning 1.4-litreTSItwin-charger petrol that develops a massive 170PS of power, topping the figures of conventional 2.0-litre petrols. What really blew me away was torque, 240Nm available from 1500rpm all the way up to 4750rpm - on the road it pulls like a diesel engine (without the noise, clatter or limited rev range) and many a time I thought I was in third when actually she was in sixth. I kid you not.

So shockingly good was the engine that over the entire day I paid less attention to the car and more to the engine and it was only over the second day's drive over country roads that I began to notice her solid and reassuring handling another typically Germanic trait I he light-weight petrol engine up It can gives it sharp turn-in while the independent rear suspension from the Mark V Golf gives it precise and fluid handling. The compromise between ride and handling worked brilliantly on German roads though we'll have to reserve final verdict for when we drive the car over typically pockmarked Indian roads.

The Superb does not feel strained through urban crawls and picks up pace unflinchingly despite greater herb weight

Passat and shares several components thanks to Skoda being part of the Volkswagen group. Manufacturers around the world cut costs by sharing components and thereby forfeit imbuing their cars with individuality. More's the pity, since you and I can't tell the difference between cars built by different manufacturers who belong to one group. It just so happens that my long-term car is the Passat, and the moment I stepped into the new Superb, I see the resemblance between the two cars. The storage compartments, quality and material of upholstery, the look and feel of the seats, besides the switches and knobs are near replicas of those in the Passat. Even the chunky gear knob and dashboard and centre console layout are similar to the Passat's. I for one am unable to perceive any creative input in context of lending the new Superb any distinction. However, there is a difference in the way the engine and drivetrain perform despite the 2.0-litre TDI pumpe duse being the engine used in the Passat. The Superb does not feel strained through urban crawls and picks up pace unflinchingly despite greater kerb weight.

The 1968cc engine makes 140PS of max power at 400Orpm and 320Nm of max power between 180Orpm and 2500rpm. These figures are dead match for the Passat, so Skoda has just plonked this engine from Passat into Superb bay. Bet the Superb drivetrain has similar ratios. Therefore the fantastic efficiency and performance on highway is a given. The differences in the two cars will be only due to aero performance and kerb weight. The Superb, at 1490kg, weighs a tad more than the Passat. Rakish styling though seems more aerodynamic.

The ride quality is like its name, superb. By European standards it is a bit soggy and soft but fits Indian buyers' bill to a Y. The Indian Superb buyer will be far more prone to clinching crorepati deals on his swanky mobile as he stifles eggs benedict burps, than wrangle with steering wheel, shifter or pedal. And that is what Skoda delivers. No, the soft suspension does not compromise handling; there is enough dynamism to keep it flat and neutral around corners or when pushed hard.

The new Superb is a detour from run-of-the-mill Skoda cars. Earlier it was easy to mistake the Superb for an Octavia. The new Superb's styling with a distinctive front clears the murk while even emanating a fresh aura. The car looks larger than its predecessor despite the shorter wheelbase in interest of better dynamic abilities.

The interiors have not shrunk however; this car is even more spacious than before. However the quality and feel fall way short of the plush executive luxury sedan standard. Wood and chrome detailing add colour.

The older Superb's features list was jaw-dropping, comparable with goodies on the, S-Class. While mood lighting made for warm and cosy ambience. The new Superb alas has none of that rich almostdecadent opulence. Skoda may project it as luxury limousine but beyond the acres of legroom, there is nothing to pamper the senses, a bit run-of-the-mill rather than king of the hill. And that Skoda must address before unveiling the new Superb for the Indian masses. C