A few months ago, Volkswagen had taken us by surprise when they launched only the diesel variant of its latest offering, the Jetta. As it turns out, the lukewarm response to the sedan got them to rethink their marketing strategy. The Petrol variant of the Jetta was caught testing by the folks at IndianCarsBikes on the Mumbai- Pune expressway. The car carried a red licence plate and held the TSI badging which confirmed that the car was undergoing routine testing.
The on-test Volkswagen Jetta TSI comes as quite a surprise, considering the limited market for a petrol-engined sedan, especially in the luxury car space where diesels hold majority of the sales. The petrol Jetta is expected to be powered by the same 1.8 TSI unit as its cousin, the Skoda Laura. This may give petrol-heads a reason to cheer, as the engine promisesoverwhelming performance. However, the increasing petrol prices and the poor efficiency figures that the petrol motor delivers may be a bit of a turn-off.
The 1.8 litre petrol motor also serves the Skoda Superb and churns out 180BHP, with a peak torque rating of 250 NM. A different tuning on the TSI motor may sort out the ‘efficiency-deficiency’ but we aren’t sure if Volkswagen will choose to do so. Speculations are that a cheaper 1.4 TSI will also find its way through the market, and will serve as an entry level variant.
The Volkswagen Jetta currently lacks a few features, such as the automatic climate-control system and leather seats. These add-ons, however, can be expected on the petrol variant to help boost its sales. We still don’t have any confirmed dates as to when the Jetta will hit the showrooms, but since the Auto Expo is just a month away we can expect its unveiling during the show itself. The pricing of the Jetta TSI is still a mystery, as it totally depends on the trim levels and the engine options it will be available with.
Image Source: ICB
