Archive for category Volkswagen
Volkswagen Jetta – Evolution of a Winner
Posted by admin in Volkswagen on July 8, 2011
Announced as a new model for 1980 the Volkswagen Jetta has captivated the car buying public for 28 years. The Jetta, named by Volkswagen after the Jet Stream, is the sedan version of Volkswagen’s innovative compact the Golf. The Jetta, developed for the North American market, is an upscale model with nicer interior trim, a trunk, and a slightly higher price than the Golf. Since its debut as a new model, the Jetta has evolved five times, each generation growing in size, power, and prestige. The Jetta is available in two, four, and five door (the Jetta wagon) variations.
The first-generation Jetta, called the A1 and produced from 1980 through 1984, stormed onto the North American market in 1980. It was available as a two-door coupe and four-door sedan. This first Jetta styled by ItalDesign was a marvelously boxy. A standard four-cylinder engine producing 78 horsepower powered the A1 Jetta. The Jetta’s power plant was updated to a higher torque producing 1.7-liter four-cylinder in 1981. A diesel version of the engine was offered. Volkswagen also produced a high performance GLI Jetta with a 1.8-liter engine in 1984.
The second generation, and longest running generation of the car, was produced from 1985 through 1992. The A2 was offered as a coupe or a sedan. The A2 Jetta saw a number of exterior, interior, engine, and safety upgrades. A 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine producing originally 100 horsepower and later 105 horsepower powered the base models of the A2. The 1990 Jetta GLI was muscled up with a 2.0-liter, DOHC, 16 valve four-cylinder engine that produced 134 horsepower and firmly established the Jetta GLI as a serious performance contender. Read the rest of this entry »
The Evolution of the Volkswagen Jetta
Posted by admin in Volkswagen on June 30, 2011
With the release of the sixth-generation Volkswagen Jetta, it seems appropriate to look at the history of this influential model and the impact it has had on the market. Like the Golf, the Jetta has been extremely popular, with wide success in the United States as well as other parts of the world, and ever since it’s first incarnation in 1980, the car has grown progressively larger in size and power with each generation.
The first generation was released in 1980 available in a 2-door or 4-door saloon/sedan as a way of matching demand for a tradition three-box-saloon design. Notable for its angular design by Giorgetto Giugiaro, superior safety measures and its upmarket interiors, the Jetta quickly became a popular choice for the United States, eventually setting its place as the best-selling European car in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The second generation would follow in 1984, with a similar design but allowing seating for more people as well as a larger and heavier body. Thanks to innovations such as the optional trip computer, transmission mounts and silicon dampened engine – all of which helped to reduce noise levels and vibrations. This was further developed in 1988 with the creation of an electronic fuel injection system, known as the Digifant Engine Management system. Read the rest of this entry »