For fuel efficiency, Toyota is known for hybrids, while Volkswagen is known for diesel. This 2015 Jetta Hybrid, however, might surprise a few car buyers.
For fuel efficiency toyota is known for hybrids volkswagen diesel so this jetta surprises a few folks i’m tom volk with driven for the new york times lowe the bionic armadillo shape of the prius you might find jetta hybrids crisp clean sedan lines appealing or bland it looks like the gas and diesel models the grille wheels and gauge cluster are the only real visual
Clues jetta is often thought of as the sedan version of golf which is a hatchback however these days they ride on different architectures golf is built on the new highly regarded nqb structure same as outtie a3 the gasoline side of jetta hybrid is a turbo charged 1.4 liter 4-cylinder making 150 horsepower complementing that is a 27 horse electric motor/generator
Total power is 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque most hybrids get continuously variable transmissions jetta hybrid owners luck out this is a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox –mode lets you run short distances at city speeds on battery power alone hybrids use big batteries they have to go somewhere the 117 pound lithium-ion unit is compact but still takes a
Chunk out of the cargo hold kind of surprised they didn’t eliminate the spare it’s possible to haul long thin stuff the cheapy does not lie overall practicality is down due to the undulations that’s a four pack score jetta may not haul much cargo but it does halt with gobs of low-end torque because of that it kind of feels like a diesel zero to 60 takes just over
Eight seconds the engine and motor are very well coordinated the display shows what’s happening the usual hybrid dynamics occur the engine normally shuts down when jetta stops it initially pulls away on electric power then the gas engine kicks in jetta can run to 35 miles an hour or so on battery power alone remember a hybrids braking system doesn’t just stop
The car it also charges the battery jetta hybrids pedal modulation is a little uneven a little grabby the gauge that replaces the tachometer offers up a lot of information the boost range means both the gas and electric sides are working hard for you jet hybrid is quiet comfortable and calm with decent handling this is definitely more engaging than a prius not
As much fun as golf though jetta feels heavier too you’ll notice understeer fuel economy is a win for the prius my average in jetta hybrid is 38 miles per gallon about five less than the toyota and the vw wants premium fuel for cabin razzle-dazzle shop elsewhere jettas is classic understated volkswagen materials are much higher rent than prius not as luxurious as
Golf the faux leather looks faux some plastics are soft others are not the interface screen is small and given the high-tech powertrain you’d expect a usb port and a modern connector on the proprietary cord between the fuel economy and the fairly roomy backseat jetta hybrid owners may find that their friends badger them all the time to drive they’ll have everything
They need and back to will have few issues if you often carry three go with passat diesel if you want an efficient bdub there’s a premium to pay for the hybrid it starts at about twenty eight thousand five hundred dollars this fully loaded model retails for 32 grand compare ibly equipped it’s close to 2,000 more than a diesel jetta 4,000 above a gas model for those
Who want to travel with this kind of tech volkswagen has engineered an engaging way to arrive efficiently oh
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2015 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid | Driven: Car Review | The New York Times By The New York Times