Volkswagen Jetta 1.6 DSG (A) Review
12 Feb 2010|39,672 views
Speak of a continental sedan to your friends and you will find that the same familiar points will always surface. Elegance. Designers of continental sedans have always infused the right proportions of executive elegance and understated sportiness in their designs. Take the BMW 3 series sedans for example. It manages to exude a professional business-like exterior that your associates can respect. On top of that sedate exterior, the front fascia emanates a sort of understated sportiness. The compact dimensions of the 3 series makes it an excellent performer in the twisty bits as well.
Another area where continentals trump other sedans is safety. Take any car from one of the big four German manufacturers and you’ll find a plethora of safety features built into them. The cars are built on a chassis that provides greater rigidity (in the right places) during an impact. Side impact beams, collapsible bonnet and minimum cabin intrusion are just some of the examples that make a continental automobile safer. Of course all these safety features and chassis rigidity comes at a price. Thus the generally higher fuel consumption of continental cars but that isn’t always the case as you will read later in this article.
Another area where continentals trump other sedans is safety. Take any car from one of the big four German manufacturers and you’ll find a plethora of safety features built into them. The cars are built on a chassis that provides greater rigidity (in the right places) during an impact. Side impact beams, collapsible bonnet and minimum cabin intrusion are just some of the examples that make a continental automobile safer. Of course all these safety features and chassis rigidity comes at a price. Thus the generally higher fuel consumption of continental cars but that isn’t always the case as you will read later in this article.
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Lastly, the interiors of most continental sedans offer a pleasant environment where you can swallow up enormous mileage without ever feeling the strain. A better foundation of ergonomics provides an excellent level of comfort for the driver and his passengers. Buttons are within easy reach of the driver without his back ever losing contact with the backrest. Rear passengers are also comfortably cocooned in high quality leather seats. The dashboard and centre console buttons give a solid and tactile feedback that adds to the continental experience. Fit and finish is so good that you don’t hear much of any rattles anywhere when you turn the bass up.
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Exterior
A glance at the Jetta’s front fascia and you will notice that it is unmistakably Volkswagen. Bearing more than a passing resemblance to the Golf. Which isn’t a bad thing really. A pair of round and gently contoured headlamps dominate both sides of the VW’s rather ‘friendly’ face. A chrome VW badge sits prominently on the front grille between the two horizontal slats.
Overall the Jetta exudes an understated sportiness that you don’t see on the ‘all-business’ Passat.
Interior
Step into the Jetta’s interior and you notice that it is all typical Volkswagen. The perfect driving position can be had with the fully adjustable steering column with reach and rake settings. The driver’s seat hug your body with enough support for moderately aggressive cornering. As with the rest of the interior, the centre console is swathed in Volkswagen’s typically high quality plastics. A tap on the dashboard gives a quality assuring ‘thud’.
The large LCD screen belonging to the factory-fitted audio sound system dominates the centre console and is backlit in cool blue. The audio system handles most listening duties well with its 8-speakers spread evenly between the front and rear cabin. The CD player like in most cars these days accepts MP3 CDs. But in case that gets boring, an AUX-in is discretely tucked away in the centre armrest. Although the jack seems to be placed in an awkward position, we appreciate VW’s efforts in keeping up with the times.
A glance at the Jetta’s front fascia and you will notice that it is unmistakably Volkswagen. Bearing more than a passing resemblance to the Golf. Which isn’t a bad thing really. A pair of round and gently contoured headlamps dominate both sides of the VW’s rather ‘friendly’ face. A chrome VW badge sits prominently on the front grille between the two horizontal slats.
Overall the Jetta exudes an understated sportiness that you don’t see on the ‘all-business’ Passat.
Interior
Step into the Jetta’s interior and you notice that it is all typical Volkswagen. The perfect driving position can be had with the fully adjustable steering column with reach and rake settings. The driver’s seat hug your body with enough support for moderately aggressive cornering. As with the rest of the interior, the centre console is swathed in Volkswagen’s typically high quality plastics. A tap on the dashboard gives a quality assuring ‘thud’.
The large LCD screen belonging to the factory-fitted audio sound system dominates the centre console and is backlit in cool blue. The audio system handles most listening duties well with its 8-speakers spread evenly between the front and rear cabin. The CD player like in most cars these days accepts MP3 CDs. But in case that gets boring, an AUX-in is discretely tucked away in the centre armrest. Although the jack seems to be placed in an awkward position, we appreciate VW’s efforts in keeping up with the times.
Just below the audio deck you find a functional digital dual climate control system for the left and right side of the cabin.
In the rear, the seats are spacious enough to sit three full sized adults in reasonable comfort. Though I wouldn’t recommend taking long journeys in that way. Legroom is adequate for long legged bodies like yours truly despite having a similarly sized driver. Rear seats as with most cars these days can be knocked down to provide greater storage space. The centre rear seat/armrest can be knocked down to provide a load-thru for elongated cargo.
Driving Impressions
If you’re used to VW’s 1.4-litre TSI engines, you might find the drive in this Jetta a little well…dull. Equipped with a modest Naturally Aspirated 1.6-litre inline-4 cylinder unit, the drive in this Jetta isn’t gonna raise any heart rates. But the Jetta 1.6’s dullness all starts to make sense when you look at the consumption figures. Fitted with the new 7-speed DSG gearbox, the Jetta 1.6 boasts a consumption figure of 14.7km/l compared to the previous Jetta’s consumption figure of 12.1km/l, now that is very impressive.
While on the roads, the DSG box shifts so seamlessly that it is hardly noticeable. The ride in the Jetta on the highway is well sorted with none of that ‘floaty’ feeling you get with other sedans. Even at 130km/h the car was still reassuring.
Off the highway, the car’s suspension still damps well although some moderate undulations do get the better of it.
In the rear, the seats are spacious enough to sit three full sized adults in reasonable comfort. Though I wouldn’t recommend taking long journeys in that way. Legroom is adequate for long legged bodies like yours truly despite having a similarly sized driver. Rear seats as with most cars these days can be knocked down to provide greater storage space. The centre rear seat/armrest can be knocked down to provide a load-thru for elongated cargo.
Driving Impressions
If you’re used to VW’s 1.4-litre TSI engines, you might find the drive in this Jetta a little well…dull. Equipped with a modest Naturally Aspirated 1.6-litre inline-4 cylinder unit, the drive in this Jetta isn’t gonna raise any heart rates. But the Jetta 1.6’s dullness all starts to make sense when you look at the consumption figures. Fitted with the new 7-speed DSG gearbox, the Jetta 1.6 boasts a consumption figure of 14.7km/l compared to the previous Jetta’s consumption figure of 12.1km/l, now that is very impressive.
While on the roads, the DSG box shifts so seamlessly that it is hardly noticeable. The ride in the Jetta on the highway is well sorted with none of that ‘floaty’ feeling you get with other sedans. Even at 130km/h the car was still reassuring.
Off the highway, the car’s suspension still damps well although some moderate undulations do get the better of it.
![]() |
Conclusion
The Jetta 1.6’s main selling point is that for the price of a Japanese sedan, you can get yourself a well-sorted German sedan with excellent safety features, better quality interior and the higher build quality that we’ve come to expect from continental sedans.
Higher consumption figures used to deter most from these continental sedans but with the Jetta’s excellent claimed figures, that leaves us little reason not to be seen in a sleek Jetta.
Coupled with the VW Polo, it looks like the German’s two pronged attack on the local market this year is set to make it a tough year for the Japanese brands.
The Jetta 1.6’s main selling point is that for the price of a Japanese sedan, you can get yourself a well-sorted German sedan with excellent safety features, better quality interior and the higher build quality that we’ve come to expect from continental sedans.
Higher consumption figures used to deter most from these continental sedans but with the Jetta’s excellent claimed figures, that leaves us little reason not to be seen in a sleek Jetta.
Coupled with the VW Polo, it looks like the German’s two pronged attack on the local market this year is set to make it a tough year for the Japanese brands.
Speak of a continental sedan to your friends and you will find that the same familiar points will always surface. Elegance. Designers of continental sedans have always infused the right proportions of executive elegance and understated sportiness in their designs. Take the BMW 3 series sedans for example. It manages to exude a professional business-like exterior that your associates can respect. On top of that sedate exterior, the front fascia emanates a sort of understated sportiness. The compact dimensions of the 3 series makes it an excellent performer in the twisty bits as well.
Another area where continentals trump other sedans is safety. Take any car from one of the big four German manufacturers and you’ll find a plethora of safety features built into them. The cars are built on a chassis that provides greater rigidity (in the right places) during an impact. Side impact beams, collapsible bonnet and minimum cabin intrusion are just some of the examples that make a continental automobile safer. Of course all these safety features and chassis rigidity comes at a price. Thus the generally higher fuel consumption of continental cars but that isn’t always the case as you will read later in this article.
Another area where continentals trump other sedans is safety. Take any car from one of the big four German manufacturers and you’ll find a plethora of safety features built into them. The cars are built on a chassis that provides greater rigidity (in the right places) during an impact. Side impact beams, collapsible bonnet and minimum cabin intrusion are just some of the examples that make a continental automobile safer. Of course all these safety features and chassis rigidity comes at a price. Thus the generally higher fuel consumption of continental cars but that isn’t always the case as you will read later in this article.
![]() |
Lastly, the interiors of most continental sedans offer a pleasant environment where you can swallow up enormous mileage without ever feeling the strain. A better foundation of ergonomics provides an excellent level of comfort for the driver and his passengers. Buttons are within easy reach of the driver without his back ever losing contact with the backrest. Rear passengers are also comfortably cocooned in high quality leather seats. The dashboard and centre console buttons give a solid and tactile feedback that adds to the continental experience. Fit and finish is so good that you don’t hear much of any rattles anywhere when you turn the bass up.
![]() |
Exterior
A glance at the Jetta’s front fascia and you will notice that it is unmistakably Volkswagen. Bearing more than a passing resemblance to the Golf. Which isn’t a bad thing really. A pair of round and gently contoured headlamps dominate both sides of the VW’s rather ‘friendly’ face. A chrome VW badge sits prominently on the front grille between the two horizontal slats.
Overall the Jetta exudes an understated sportiness that you don’t see on the ‘all-business’ Passat.
Interior
Step into the Jetta’s interior and you notice that it is all typical Volkswagen. The perfect driving position can be had with the fully adjustable steering column with reach and rake settings. The driver’s seat hug your body with enough support for moderately aggressive cornering. As with the rest of the interior, the centre console is swathed in Volkswagen’s typically high quality plastics. A tap on the dashboard gives a quality assuring ‘thud’.
The large LCD screen belonging to the factory-fitted audio sound system dominates the centre console and is backlit in cool blue. The audio system handles most listening duties well with its 8-speakers spread evenly between the front and rear cabin. The CD player like in most cars these days accepts MP3 CDs. But in case that gets boring, an AUX-in is discretely tucked away in the centre armrest. Although the jack seems to be placed in an awkward position, we appreciate VW’s efforts in keeping up with the times.
A glance at the Jetta’s front fascia and you will notice that it is unmistakably Volkswagen. Bearing more than a passing resemblance to the Golf. Which isn’t a bad thing really. A pair of round and gently contoured headlamps dominate both sides of the VW’s rather ‘friendly’ face. A chrome VW badge sits prominently on the front grille between the two horizontal slats.
Overall the Jetta exudes an understated sportiness that you don’t see on the ‘all-business’ Passat.
Interior
Step into the Jetta’s interior and you notice that it is all typical Volkswagen. The perfect driving position can be had with the fully adjustable steering column with reach and rake settings. The driver’s seat hug your body with enough support for moderately aggressive cornering. As with the rest of the interior, the centre console is swathed in Volkswagen’s typically high quality plastics. A tap on the dashboard gives a quality assuring ‘thud’.
The large LCD screen belonging to the factory-fitted audio sound system dominates the centre console and is backlit in cool blue. The audio system handles most listening duties well with its 8-speakers spread evenly between the front and rear cabin. The CD player like in most cars these days accepts MP3 CDs. But in case that gets boring, an AUX-in is discretely tucked away in the centre armrest. Although the jack seems to be placed in an awkward position, we appreciate VW’s efforts in keeping up with the times.
Just below the audio deck you find a functional digital dual climate control system for the left and right side of the cabin.
In the rear, the seats are spacious enough to sit three full sized adults in reasonable comfort. Though I wouldn’t recommend taking long journeys in that way. Legroom is adequate for long legged bodies like yours truly despite having a similarly sized driver. Rear seats as with most cars these days can be knocked down to provide greater storage space. The centre rear seat/armrest can be knocked down to provide a load-thru for elongated cargo.
Driving Impressions
If you’re used to VW’s 1.4-litre TSI engines, you might find the drive in this Jetta a little well…dull. Equipped with a modest Naturally Aspirated 1.6-litre inline-4 cylinder unit, the drive in this Jetta isn’t gonna raise any heart rates. But the Jetta 1.6’s dullness all starts to make sense when you look at the consumption figures. Fitted with the new 7-speed DSG gearbox, the Jetta 1.6 boasts a consumption figure of 14.7km/l compared to the previous Jetta’s consumption figure of 12.1km/l, now that is very impressive.
While on the roads, the DSG box shifts so seamlessly that it is hardly noticeable. The ride in the Jetta on the highway is well sorted with none of that ‘floaty’ feeling you get with other sedans. Even at 130km/h the car was still reassuring.
Off the highway, the car’s suspension still damps well although some moderate undulations do get the better of it.
In the rear, the seats are spacious enough to sit three full sized adults in reasonable comfort. Though I wouldn’t recommend taking long journeys in that way. Legroom is adequate for long legged bodies like yours truly despite having a similarly sized driver. Rear seats as with most cars these days can be knocked down to provide greater storage space. The centre rear seat/armrest can be knocked down to provide a load-thru for elongated cargo.
Driving Impressions
If you’re used to VW’s 1.4-litre TSI engines, you might find the drive in this Jetta a little well…dull. Equipped with a modest Naturally Aspirated 1.6-litre inline-4 cylinder unit, the drive in this Jetta isn’t gonna raise any heart rates. But the Jetta 1.6’s dullness all starts to make sense when you look at the consumption figures. Fitted with the new 7-speed DSG gearbox, the Jetta 1.6 boasts a consumption figure of 14.7km/l compared to the previous Jetta’s consumption figure of 12.1km/l, now that is very impressive.
While on the roads, the DSG box shifts so seamlessly that it is hardly noticeable. The ride in the Jetta on the highway is well sorted with none of that ‘floaty’ feeling you get with other sedans. Even at 130km/h the car was still reassuring.
Off the highway, the car’s suspension still damps well although some moderate undulations do get the better of it.
![]() |
Conclusion
The Jetta 1.6’s main selling point is that for the price of a Japanese sedan, you can get yourself a well-sorted German sedan with excellent safety features, better quality interior and the higher build quality that we’ve come to expect from continental sedans.
Higher consumption figures used to deter most from these continental sedans but with the Jetta’s excellent claimed figures, that leaves us little reason not to be seen in a sleek Jetta.
Coupled with the VW Polo, it looks like the German’s two pronged attack on the local market this year is set to make it a tough year for the Japanese brands.
The Jetta 1.6’s main selling point is that for the price of a Japanese sedan, you can get yourself a well-sorted German sedan with excellent safety features, better quality interior and the higher build quality that we’ve come to expect from continental sedans.
Higher consumption figures used to deter most from these continental sedans but with the Jetta’s excellent claimed figures, that leaves us little reason not to be seen in a sleek Jetta.
Coupled with the VW Polo, it looks like the German’s two pronged attack on the local market this year is set to make it a tough year for the Japanese brands.
Also read our comparison article on:
Volkswagen Jetta 1.4 TSI vs BMW 323iCar Information
Volkswagen Jetta 1.6 DSG (A)
CAT A|Petrol|14.7km/L
Horsepower
76kW (102 bhp)
Torque
148 Nm
Acceleration
12.2sec (0-100km /hr)
This model is no longer being sold by local distributor
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