The Volkswagen Jetta () is a compact car/small family car manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen since 1979. Positioned to fill a sedan niche slightly above the Golf hatchback, it has been marketed over seven generations, variously as the Atlantic, Vento, Bora, City Jetta, Jetta City, GLI, Jetta, Clasico, and Sagitar (in China).
The Jetta has been offered in two- and four-door saloon/sedan and sometimes as five-door wagon/estate versions. Since the original 1980 version, the car has grown in size and power with each generation. By mid-2011, almost 10 million Jettas had been produced and sold around the world. As of April 2014, Volkswagen marketed over 14 million Jettas, becoming its top-selling model.
Nameplate etymology Numerous sources note that the Jetta nameplate derives from the Atlantic "jet stream" during a period when Volkswagen named its vehicles after prominent winds and currents (e.g. the Passat after the German word for trade wind, the Bora after bora, and the Scirocco after sirocco).
A 2013 report by former VW advertising copywriter Bertel Schmitt said that after consulting VW sources including former Volkswagen of America Chief Dr. Carl Hahn and former Volkswagen sales chief W.P. Schmidt, no evidence suggested that Volkswagen employed a naming theme for its front-drive, water-cooled vehicles, nor was there evidence that the names derived from a theme or that a naming system "was ever announced, either officially or confidentially."
First generation (A1, Type 16; 1979)
Although the Golf (known as the Rabbit in the US and Canada) reached considerable success in the North American markets, Volkswagen saw that the hatchback body style lacked some of the appeal to those who preferred the traditional three-box configuration. The styling of the 1970 AMC Gremlin was controversial for truncating the Hornet sedan, but Volkswagen stylists reversed the process by essentially grafting a new trunk onto the tail of the Golf to produce a larger Jetta saloon. The Jetta became the best-selling European car in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The car was also popular in Europe, including the United Kingdom, Germany, and Turkey.
The Jetta was introduced to the world at the 1979 Frankfurt Auto Show. Production of the first generation began in August 1979ETKA at the Wolfsburg plant. In Mexico, the Mk1 Jetta was known as the "Volkswagen Atlantic".
The car was available as a two-door sedan (replacing the aging two-door, rear-engined, rear-wheel drive Volkswagen Beetle sedan in the United States and Canada) and four-door sedan body styles, both of which shared a traditional three-box design. Like the first-generation Golf, its angular styling was penned at ItalDesign by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Styling differences could be found depending on the market. In most of the world, the car was available with composite headlamps, while in the US, it was only available with rectangular sealed beam lamps due to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 (FMVSS 108). The suspension setup was identical to the Golf, and consisted of a MacPherson strut setup in front and a twist-beam rear suspension. It shared its 2,400 mm (94.5 in) wheelbase with its hatchback counterpart, although overall length was up by 380 millimetres (15 in). The capacity of the luggage compartment was 377 litres (13.3 ft3), making the Jetta reasonably practical. To distinguish the car from the Golf, interiors were made more upscale in all markets. This included velour seating and color coordinated sill to sill carpeting.
Engine choices varied considerably depending on the local market. Most were based on 827 engines of the era. Choices in petrol engines ranged from a 1.1 litre four-cylinder engine producing , to a 1.8-litre I4 which made and of torque. Some cars were equipped with carburetors, while others were fuel-injected using K or KE Jetronic supplied by Robert Bosch GmbH. Diesel engine choices included a 1.6-litre making and a turbocharged version of the same engine which produced and of torque.
Volkswagen briefly considered producing the Jetta in a plant located in Sterling Heights, Michigan, U.S.Robson, p.168 However, due to declining sales in North America, the decision was postponed and abandoned in 1982.Grieger, p. 92 The site was subsequently sold to Chrysler in 1983. This generation of the Jetta was also produced in SFR Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, under the joint venture Tvornica Automobila Sarajevo (TAS) for the Balkan area.
Second generation (A2, Type 20E/1G; 1984)
The second generation of the Jetta is the longest-running so far. Introduced to Europe in early 1984 and North America in 1985, it proved to be a sales success for Volkswagen. The car secured the title of best-selling European car in North America, and outsold the similar Golf by two to one in that market.Robson, p. 182 Based on the all-new second-generation Golf platform, the car was larger, heavier, and could seat five people instead of four as in the Jetta Mk1. Exterior dimensions increased in all directions. Overall length was up by , the wheelbase grew , and the width went up . The suspension setup was basically unchanged from the first generation, albeit refined slightly, with the inclusion of a separate subframe for mounting the front control arms to help noise isolation, as well as improved rubber mountings for all components. Aerodynamics improved considerably, with a drag coefficient of 0.36. With a 470-litre (16.6 ft3) luggage compartment, the trunk had grown nearly as large as some full-sized American sedans. Interior room was also increased by 14 percent, which changed the EPA class from sub-compact to compact.
In Germany, Volkswagens were assembled in a new plant at Wolfsburg in Assembly Hall 54, which was heavily robotised in an effort to make build quality more consistent.Robson, p. 186 New innovations on the second generation included an optional trip computer (referred to as the MFA, German Multi-Funktions-Anzeige), as well as silicone dampened engine and transmission mounts to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness levels. In 1988, a more advanced, fully electronic fuel injection system, known as the Digifant engine management system, became available.
As with its predecessor, the second-generation Jetta was offered as a two- or four-door sedan. External changes throughout the series' run were few: the front-quarter windows were eliminated in 1988 (along with a grille and door trim change), and larger body-colored bumpers and lower side skirts were added in 1990.
In 2007, Volkswagen of America held a contest to find the diesel-powered Volkswagen with the highest distance traveled on the original engine. The winning car was a 1986 Jetta Turbodiesel in Blue Rock, Ohio, which had . A local dealer verified the odometer reading. Notable on this particular car was that it also had the original muffler despite being located in an area subject to road salt in the winter.
Third generation (A3, Typ 1H; 1992)
For its third generation, the Jetta was renamed the Volkswagen Vento in European countries, following the precedent of naming cars after winds ("Vento" means "wind" in both Portuguese and Italian). This generation debuted in Europe in 1992, followed by North America in 1993 (as the Jetta) after production delays and quality problems at the Volkswagen plant in Puebla, Mexico.Robson, p. 208 It went on sale in most of Europe in the first quarter of the year, though it did not arrive on the British market until September 1992. Because of the success of the second generation in North America, Volkswagen decided to keep the Jetta nameplate. However, the car was given the Vento name in Europe to appeal to a younger market.
Styling was penned by a design team led by Herbert Schafer, and the car became more aerodynamic than the previous generation. Although visually similar to the second-generation Jetta, there were many refinements underneath. The two-door model was dropped, and aerodynamics were improved, with the car now having a drag coefficient of 0.32. This included a new structure which now met worldwide crash standards.Robson, p. 202 Suspensions were an evolutionary rather than revolutionary refinement of the setup on previous editions, and mainly consisted of a wider track, and even maintaining backwards compatibility with older models. In addition, the car became more environmentally friendly with the use of recycled plastics, CFC-free air conditioning systems, and paint that did not contain heavy metals.
This generation of the car is widely credited for keeping Volkswagen from pulling out of the North American market. At the time of its introduction in 1993, Volkswagen of America's sales hit a low not seen since the 1950s, as the division sold only 43,902 cars in that year. Sales began slowly due to the aforementioned issues at the Puebla plant. However, sales rebounded dramatically in the following years, mostly based on the strength of the Jetta, which continued to be the best-selling Volkswagen in the United States.Robson, p. 210
Fourth generation (A4, Typ 1J; 1999)
Production of the fourth generation began in July 1999.Grieger, p. 168 Carrying on the wind nomenclature, the car was known as the Volkswagen Bora in much of the world. Bora is a winter wind which blows intermittently over the coast of the Adriatic Sea, as well as in parts of Greece, Russia, Turkey, and in the Sliven region of Bulgaria. In North America and South Africa, the Jetta moniker was kept once more due to the continued popularity of the car in those markets.
The Bora debuted shortly after its larger sibling, the fifth-generation Passat, with which it shared many styling cues. The rounded shape and arched roofline served as the new Volkswagen styling trademark, abandoning traditional sharp creases for more curved corners. A distinguishing feature of the Bora is its Whiptenna, an antenna on the rear end of the roof which was said to incur less drag than traditional antennas due to its short length and leeward position. For the first time, the rear passenger doors differed from those of a five-door Golf. The car was also offered as an estate/wagon (whose rear doors are also non-interchangeable with the others). New on this generation was some advanced options such as rain sensor-controlled windshield wipers and automatic climate control. However, these were expensive extras and many buyers did not specify them on their cars; as a result, the used market has many sparsely equipped models.
Although slightly shorter overall than the Vento, the Bora saw the wheelbase extended slightly. Some powertrain options were carried over. Nevertheless, a new internal combustion engines was offered: the 1.8-litre turbo four-cylinder (often referred to as the 1.8 20vT). The suspension setup remained much as before. However, it was softened considerably in most models to give a comfortable ride, which was met with some criticism as it was still quite hard in comparison with rivals such as vehicles offered from French carmakers.
Fifth generation (A5, Typ 1K5; 2005)
The fifth generation Jetta debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show on 5 January 2005. After the New Beetle, it was the second Volkswagen product to make its world debut at a US auto show. The A5 Jetta sedan went on sale in the US before any other country, reflecting the importance of the car in that market for Volkswagen.