Quick Drive – 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Clean Diesel
It came as a surprise today to see a slew of alternative fuel vehicles outside my offices at L’Enfant Plaza in Southwest, Washington D.C. It turns out the Society of Automotive Engineers was holding their Government/Industry Meeting at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel hosted by Volkswagen of America, which recently relocated their headquarters to nearby Herndon, Virginia.
Upon examining their wares, a representative approached me and asked if I would like to take their new Jetta Clean Diesel TDI sedan for a spin. How could I resist? I always enjoy driving other people’s cars. The first thing one will note is how un-Diesel like the TDI engine is on start up. Forget everything you assume about Diesels. This is a new day. The car is so hushed on idle that it is quieter than most gasoline engines I’ve experienced as of late.
The jewel of this vehicle is of course the engine. A 2.0 liter direct injection turbocharged four cylinder engine with 16 valves mated to a 6 speed dual clutch automatic transmission (a manual will be available) motivates this compact sedan with little turbo lag and a definite sense of urgency in the mid range. It also doesn’t sound like a Diesel, but more like a robust gasoline four cylinder engine.
With 140 horsepower on tap and an impressive 235 lb ft of torque, you are not wanting for power. While I only was able to get up to speeds of around 45 mph tops, I had the sense this vehicle would be a competent highway cruiser. Emissions are also handily controlled with devices such as an NOx Storage Catalyst, a Diesel Particulate Filter and a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst.
The rest of the Jetta TDI Clean Diesel is standard Volkswagen fare, which means decent build quality and materials inside and out. For those who have owned German vehicles before, all the controls will seem second nature. I did notice, however, that the driver’s seat was hard for me to adjust in a comfortable position. The cushion, no matter how far down I would adjust it, seemed to be up too high, forcing my legs into the bottom of the steering wheel. Given that this was a pre production vehicle and had been used in fleets, there could have very well been a malfunction with the adjustment which I did not have time to investigate.
On the road, the Jetta feels a bit lighter than the fourth generation GTI I used to own. The German feel is still there, but as is the case with a lot of new vehicles today, you can’t help but things are watered down just a tad to appeal to the lowest common denominator. The outstanding part of this vehicle, however, is the fuel economy. Anticipated mileage is in the mid 40 mpg range in the city and mid 50 mpg range on the highway. While driving around Capitol Hill and the surrounding neighborhoods, the fuel economy meter was hovering in the low 40mpg range, so these figures seem quite realistic.
While Hybrid technology has its strong suits, one can’t help but think that simple, proven Diesel technology is the way forward to a cleaner, more energy conscious planet. And consider this…in ten years time you won’t have to figure out how to recycle those pesky batteries.