Jettas, Passats, and Beetles will begin hitting showroom floors this fall with a turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, just about two years after we first broke the story that Volkswagen would be replacing its not-so-awesome inline-five. The new engine produces 170 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, a modest improvement from the 170 and 177 lb-ft delivered by the 2.5-liter five. Fuel economy and refinement should be vastly improved with the 1.8T—which, it bears repeating, is a downsized version of the EA888 2.0T engine in the GTI, and has no relation to the old turbocharged 1.8 from VWs and Audis a decade ago. The 2014 Jetta launches with the new engine, while Passats and Beetles will change over from the 2.5 sometime in early-to-mid 2014.
A slew of other significant changes are headed to the VW lineup for the 2014 model year.
All Jettas Get Multilink Rear Suspensions
Since the sixth-gen Jetta arrived in 2010, we do, in the words of Sir Paul McCartney, “have to admit it’s getting better. It’s getting better all the time.” But as Lennon reminded him, “It can’t get no worse!” Most trim levels came with a solid rear axle, rather than the outgoing fifth-generation Jetta’s independent rear suspension. Many had rear drum brakes instead of discs. The interior, once the Jetta’s ace in the hole, was bland and felt cheap. In the following two years, Volkswagen made minor running changes; some plastics were upgraded, drum brakes were killed.
For 2014, all Jettas will come with an independent rear suspension. Base Jetta S models still pack an antediluvian 2.0-liter four, dubbed the Two-Point-Slow by VW nutters in appreciation of its 115-hp rating. But for the more commonly sold Jetta SE and SEL, the 1.8T now provides motivation. The SE comes with a five-speed stick or a six-speed automatic transmission, while the SEL is auto-only. (It turns out that people who want a fully loaded Jetta with a stick choose the TDI or GLI.) Jettas with the 1.8T and TDI engines get electromechanical power steering, leaving the 2.0 as the only trim with a hydraulic setup.
Volkswagen hasn’t announced fuel economy numbers yet, but according to the EPA website, the Jetta 1.8T will be rated at 26 mpg in the city, 36 on the highway (25 city with the auto). That thoroughly trounces last year’s five-cylinder Jetta—24/31, 23/33 with auto and stick respectively—but still leaves the gasoline Jetta short of its segment mates and their “40 highway mpg” advertising.
New R-Line Touareg, Beetle, Tiguan
After what feels like a dozen R-Line concept cars, Volkswagen is finally offering them in American dealerships. The Tiguan and Touareg R-Lines feature sportier suspensions, larger wheels, and modest body kits added to otherwise-well-equipped models. A Beetle R-Line is not only being introduced, but is replacing the Beetle Turbo in the lineup, retaining a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine and adding a sharper fascia.
Tweaks for the Passat, Including New Sport Trim
VW says it’ll introduce a new “Sport” trim by the end of the year, but offers no additional details. When Volkswagen showed a 250-hp Passat Performance concept at the Detroit show in January, we figured that “Sport” badging might be affixed to the first Passats carrying the new turbocharged four-cylinder engine. If that were the case, though, Volkswagen probably would have said so in today’s announcement. Our fingers are crossed that “Sport” will mean “Slightly more power from the 1.8T,” but instinct suggests it will actually mean “Slightly more aggressive look from a body kit.”
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In addition to phasing in the 1.8T and dropping the 2.5-liter five, the Passat will see some minor improvements in equipment offerings. Leather will now wrap the steering wheel, shift knob, and parking-brake handle in value-positioned Wolfsburg Edition Passats, while a rearview camera, push-button start, and touch-screen infotainment are introduced in lower trim levels.
A new EPA posting for the 2014 Passat shows the 1.8T models scoring 24 city mpg, and either 34 or 35 on the highway (six-speed auto and five-speed manual, respectively.) This is a big improvement from the five-cylinder Passat, which was rated at 22/31 and 22/32. Contrast with the new Mazda 6, EPA-tagged for 26/38 with an automatic gearbox and 28/40 with the optional i-ELOOP system, or the four-cylinder Honda Accord, 27/36 with its CVT.
If you’re wondering about the 2014 Golf and GTI, a limited number of five-door models will be sold before giving way to the MQB-based seventh-gen 2015 Golf and GTI late next spring.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/QtOFdKC-zE4/
Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton Richard Allen Craven Kerry Dale Earnhardt
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