New VW Jetta drops $4500 off price

A new entry-level price of $26,490 will put the Volkswagen Jetta on the radar of potential Holden Cruze and Mazda2 buyers.

And it’s no longer a “Golf with a boot”. The new car runs on its own chassis and shares no panels with its small car stablemate.

The range has also been rationalised, with the entry level 77kW diesel dropped for a 118kW “twincharge” 1.4-litre petrol unit. The base 118 comes with a six-speed manual; the DSG twin-clutch automated manual transmission is a $2500 option.

Step up to the Comfortline models and the same engine sells for $32,490 with the 103kW 2.0-litre turbodiesel another $2000.

All Comfortlines pick up 16-inch alloys, rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring and automatic headlights and wipers. The range tops out at $37,990 for the 147kW Highline 2.0-litre petrol model boasting 17-inch alloys, a 6.5-inch touch screen, leather upholster and heated front seats.

Bluetooth and iPod/USB connectivity is standard across the range and the Jetta comes with a full-size spare.

VW Australia managing director Anke Koeckler admitted the base manual vehicle will do limited numbers — “maybe five per cent” and expects the Comfortline range to account for most sales.

She won’t predict numbers but said VW plans for the Jetta to sit alongside the Golf, Tiguan and Polo as one of its four volume pillars.

That would mean sales will have to match its record of around 4000 in 2007. Sales have been declining since but Koeckler believes this is the time — and the car — to reverse that trend.

“This market has always liked small cars with a boot and the Jetta will definitely appeal to young families or those coming down out of a large car,” she said.