How many hybrids get high marks for driver enjoyment? Besides the cost of the hybrid system, another price you pay for maximum mpg is generally tepid performance and languid handling. Measured against that anemic standard, VW’s new Jetta hybrid strikes a refreshing note. It’s quick by compact hybrid standards—7.9 seconds to 60 mph—and its responses compare favorably with those of theJetta GLI, the hot rod of VW’s compact-sedan lineup.
Hybrid Heart
This latest Jetta sandwiches an electric motor between the internal combustion engine and the transmission. (It joins the Touareg hybrid in VW’s gas-electric stable.) Like many systems, the motor adds punch to the powertrain on demand, and doubles as a generator when the car is decelerating in order to help replenish the lithium-ion battery pack. But the VW system has distinctive elements. The engine, for example, a new all-aluminum DOHC 1.4-liter four-cylinder, is turbocharged and intercooled. That’s unique among compact hybrids, and so is the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The gearbox is even unique among Jettas, as the automatic options for the other models top out at six forward ratios. (It’s also worth noting that, while the TDI diesel and GLI can be had with dual-clutch ’boxes, the regular car offers only a regular torque-converter automatic.)
The turbo four is a long-stroke design with a 10.5:1 compression ratio, which is high for a force-fed engine. It apportions fuel via direct injection, and generates 150 hp at 5000 rpm and 184 lb-ft of torque at 1800. The electric motor is rated for 27 hp and 114 lb-ft. Total system output is rated at 170 hp and 184 lb-ft, with peak torque being limited to save the transmission.
The efficiency payoff is big in EPA testing, with ratings of 42 mpg city/48 highway. That’s an unusual skew for hybrids, where the city number usually meets or exceeds the highway number. Of course, your mileage may vary. By a lot. Ours did, as we logged 38 mpg—impressive at first blush, but far off the sky-high EPA figures, and somewhat of a disappointment considering a good portion of our driving was executed on the freeway.
The Hybrid Difference(s)
There’s not much to distinguish the hybrid from other Jettas—badging, a slightly different grille, a revised front air dam, and various underbody aero tweaks that contribute to a claimed 0.28 Cd, versus 0.30 for the rest of the Jetta family.
Inside, a “Power Meter” replaces the traditional tach, and provides information on what’s going on with the powertrain. Drivers can summon a display on the center-stack screen to track the battery pack’s level of charge and, again, watch the power flow between engine, batteries, and wheels. This is the kind of information that reinforces and rewards thrifty driving, and the VW display compares favorably with the best in hybridom.
Dynamic Debit
As noted, the Jetta hybrid isn’t much of a step down from the GLI in terms of driver involvement and gratification, although it’s not as if they drive identically. Although they would be contrary to the car’s mission, we’d have liked to see a pair of paddle shifters sprout behind the steering wheel, and the low-rolling-resistance tires don’t deliver scintillating levels of grip. And while the suspension hardware is basically the same between GLI and hybrid—which means both have the more advanced multilink rear setup versus the basic model’s torsion-beam—the eco-friendlier car is tuned slightly softer, and it of course carries more weight. At almost 3400 pounds, the hybrid is some 160 pounds heavier than the GLI, thanks mostly to the 117-pound battery pack and its attendant electronics, which ride over the rear axle.
But these are minor gripes. A bigger one, and the one real flaw in this hybrid, is the brake system. As in basically all hybrids, regenerative braking is part of the package. And as with some others, it can be prone to initial grabbiness. But the grabbiness in the VW system forces the driver to modify their braking technique perhaps more than in other vehicles, particularly at low speeds, and some of our drivers were unable to completely adjust.
Another similarity to other hybrids: Pricing for this one is at the top of the charts for the Jetta model range. At $25,790, the basic hybrid S model (available only via special order; dealers will stock the SE, SEL, and SEL Premium) is $1050 more than a base GLI, and $2005 more than the basic TDI turbo-diesel. Our test car, a top-of-the-line SEL Premium model with navigation, a sunroof, premium audio, and other goodies, came to $32,010.
That’s a pretty hefty total, but you can congratulate yourself for your environmental commitment without sacrificing much joie de drive. Just don’t enjoy it too much, if you like the idea of approaching the EPA numbers.
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