Volkswagen Jetta: Out of the world!

Driving route for 1.4-litre TSI Jetta of Volkswagen chalked out for us was from the Kempinski Hotel at the outskirts of Frankfurt to Sababurg. The first 80km stretch was Autobahn while the remaining 120km took us through B country roads and some spectacularly scenic locales. Our drive had a bit of a fairytale-like flavour as our overnight stay was at the Sababurg Castle where the sleeping beauty fairy tale originates from. At the briefing, we were told that the company could not organize the India specific cars for the drive. Instead they had arranged for the 2-litre TDI which I had already driven last month. The other options were the 1.4 TSI engine cars with either a six-speed manual or a DSG gearbox. When I was handed over the keys, the specification sheet for the sports version indicated a staggering 170PS of power. I thought to myself, that if they are extracting a whopping 170PS from a 1.4-litre that revs beyond 7000rpm, it would be a car that had no bottom end and mid range power as it would all be stacked at the top end of the rev range. As we left the Kempinski Hotel, I slipped the car into second and put my foot on the throttle. The Jetta shot forward as if it had a 3-litre V6 engine powering it. Once on the Autobahn, I shifted into sixth gear at around 90km/h and started accelerating. The pull was so strong that it felt as if she was still in fourth gear. Infact, I had to confirm if I was really in sixth. It seemed like VW had used low gearing to take advantage of the high rpm but it was not so. This little beauty of an engine propelled the Jetta which is the size of a Skoda Octavia or a Honda Civic to a mind boggling 235km/h. The car I drove was shod with 17 inch low profile tyres and was a delight to drive around the country roads. You could stick it in third gear which would give you fabulous acceleration out of corners and propel you well over the country roads speed limit. In the evening, I asked the VW officials if they were pulling a fast one on us by fitting the cars with a 2.4 turbo engine instead of the 1.4 turbo supercharged engine. The TSI technology uses supercharging for low end power while the turbo charger kicks in and boosts the mid range and top end power. The technology also improves emission levels and fuel efficiency. The power delivery and performance of this little engine is like a fairytale but it is for real. The sad part is it will not come to India as it requires German premium quality fuel. VW also let us sample their lane assist driving aid, which helps drivers from involuntarily cuttting or shifting lanes. The other technology that was showcased was auto parking. As you drive past a parking lot, the vehicle selects an empty slot suitable for its size. Then all you have to do is remove the key from ignition and step out. The key has a remote button with which you can park the car while standing outside the vehicle. The car will move back and forth on its own till it has aligned itself in the parking slot. It is quiet an experience to sit in the passenger seat and see the steering move and the brake peddle getting depressed by itself. More photos:

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