VOLKSWAGEN Jetta US-Version (2011)
The new Volkswagen Jetta is an entirely new vehicle design. The appearance of its fully galvanised body shows this most emphatically. Never before was a VW Jetta this large, this sporty, this independent. Just how independent? One sign is that the Volkswagen Jetta no longer shares any body components with the technically related world's bestseller, the Golf. Instead, the new Jetta impresses as an independent vehicle like the Passat CC or Tiguan. And it is just as safe; the previous model was already named "Top Safety Pick" in crash testing by the US organisation IIHS. Along with optimal occupant crash safety, the car has further advanced pedestrian safety features. With the Jetta, Volkswagen has once again introduced entirely new standards of quality to a vehicle segment.
Exterior styling and dimensions
The new model is 182.7 inches (4.63 metres) long, 57.1 inches (1.45 metres) tall and 70.1 inches (1.78 metres) wide (length of the European version: 4.64 metres). This makes the Volkswagen 3.15 inches (8 cm) longer than the previous model. The interplay of exterior dimensions produces a powerful ratio of proportions. In parallel, the new Volkswagen "design DNA" sharpens its style. This has resulted in clear precise lines and athletically muscular surfaces that give the saloon an image of timeless elegance and dynamic styling. The result: the Volkswagen Jetta's appearance makes such a dominant styling statement that the Volkswagen practically positions itself in a higher vehicle class.
Front end: Here it is the coupe-like incline of the windshield and the consistent use of horizontal lines that define the design. The high-gloss black radiator grille forms a stylistic unit together with the trapezoidal headlights. The dual reflector headlights are sectioned by a so-called masking blade into a larger area with the low and main beam lights and a narrow lower section with daytime running lights and indicator lights. The chrome masking blades guide the horizontal lines of the front end right into the headlights. The result: the Volkswagen Jetta has a wider and more dynamic visual stance. In the area of the low-beam light, new H7 Longlife halogen discharge lamps are used which have a significantly longer service life. The parking and daytime running lights - generally subjected to more severe loads - are also designed with Longlife or Super-Longlife technology. Optimal tuning of the mounting height and size of the low-beam reflector produces very good and broad illumination of the roadway with an emphasis on the driver's side.
Just beneath the grille and headlight unit is the cleanly sculpted surface of the fully painted bumper. One section lower, another cooling air intake and a tray-shaped front spoiler (in the style of 'splitters' used in car racing) give the car a sporty finish. The upper section of the front end displays a powerful transition from the v-shaped engine bonnet to the wings on the sides; the shoulder section here reflects dynamic and muscular styling.
Side profile: In the saloon's side profile, design characteristics that mark all new Volkswagens meld into yet another interpretation of the "design DNA" conceptualised by the Italian Head of Design for the Volkswagen Group (Walter de Silva) and the German Head of Design for the Volkswagen Brand (Klaus Bischoff). The best examples of this: the characteristic shoulder or 'tornado' line and the powerfully emphasised arches of the wheel wells. Formally, they intersect the main volumes of the large harmonised surfaces, conveying a strong dynamic image.
Thanks to wide track dimensions (1,535 mm in front, 1,532 mm in rear), the wheelarches also form a precise transition - as though carved by a knife - to accommodate wheels up to 18 inches in size. Meanwhile, the styling of the door mirrors with their integrated indicator lights emulate those of the larger Passat CC. Another typical design characteristic is the line work in the area of the C-pillars. Here, the trailing edge of the door follows a straight line from the side sill diagonally back into the triangle window; stylistically, this lengthens the door and gives the overall vehicle an even larger, more extended and elegant appearance.