Volkswagen Jetta BlueMotion Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Volkswagen Jetta BlueMotion
Prices: £16,295 – on the road
Insurance Group: 6
Emissions: 122g/km
Performance: Max Speed 117mph / 0-60mph 11.9s
Fuel Consumption: (urban) 47.9mpg / (extra urban) 72.4mpg / (combined) 61.4mpg
Safety: Twin airbags / ABS / Side airbags / ESP
Dimensions: Length/Width/Heightmm 4560/1760/1460

GET A GREENER JETTA

Our Rating: 7.7 / 10

The BlueMotion range contains Volkswagen’s greenest cars. Steve Walker takes a look at the Jetta saloon version

With some relatively minor modifications, Volkswagen has extracted impressive fuel economy and emissions from its Jetta BlueMotion. High mileage drivers can save a packet with the 61.4mpg combined cycle showing and emissions of 122g/km should lessen the tax burden.

BlueMotion is Volkswagen’s efficiency brand. Customers prioritising low fuel consumption and modest CO2 emissions can make a beeline for the BlueMotion Volkswagen models safe in the knowledge that they are the cleanest and greenest in their respective ranges. Here, we’re taking a gander at the BlueMotion version of the Volkswagen Jetta saloon. The Jetta is a car that usually keeps itself to itself but in BlueMotion form, it has more to shout about.

Volkswagen might want you to believe otherwise but it hasn’t done anything overwhelmingly clever with its BlueMotion models. There’s no advanced hybrid powertrain humming away under the surface, you don’t have to plug the cars in to charge before you go to bed at night and the dashboard is not constructed from recycled toxic waste. The manufacturer has made a series of small but telling modifications to its standard cars and the results are there for all to see.

The Jetta BlueMotion is powered by a 1.9-litre turbodiesel engine, not the most hi-tech in Volkswagen’s portfolio. It generates 103bhp which translates into a sprint to 62mph from standstill in 11.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 117mph. It makes a very relaxed motorway car with reasonable refinement and a monsterous range between fill ups. All models are fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard and with longer gear ratios in third, fourth and fifth gears, engine speed levels are lower while driving. These actions alone reduce consumption by about 0.2 litres per 100km and also increase refinement at speed. The turbocharger has also been revised to help improve economy.

One reservation I have about this car are the lower rolling resistance tyres which might make a small saving in terms of fuel consumption, but don’t hang on quite as well as softer rubber through a set of corners. If that proved the difference between a near miss and a prang, I’m not sure I’d like that on my conscience.

Like the standard Jetta models, the BlueMotion derivative keeps things quite low key. The keen-eyed will spot the BlueMotion badging on the grille and the boot but otherwise few would spot that this is anything but a stock Jetta. The modified grille, the flow-optimised underbody and the harder compound tyres aren’t immediately obvious and the design details such as the low engine idling speed and the fitment of a diesel particulate filter aren’t broadly publicised either. After all, is there anything worse than the overt and sanctimonious smugness of a typical hybrid car driver?

Otherwise, the BlueMotion is much like any other Jetta model. Viewed from the front, the Jetta is just like a Golf except for the chrome section inserted below the grille. Progress round to the rear though and the protruding boot will hove into view. Your take on this will depend on your perspective. In many European countries, the saloon bodystyle equals class and prestige in comparison to the shopping trolley hatch. Over here, the commonly held view is that it spoils the lines and the practicality of a perfectly good hatchback. Take your pick. The Jetta’s interior is a little plusher than standard Golf fare, although the basic architecture of the dashboard is the same. The boot itself is large enough to make you question the need for a hatch at 527 litres. That makes it more capacious than the boot of a BMW 7 Series. For extra flexibility, the 60/40 split rear back-rest can be folded forwards to form an almost flat floor up to the front seats.

The BlueMotion Jetta comes with one specification which includes the basics like air-conditioning, electric windows, rain sensing wipers, remote central locking and a multifunction computer. In addition, buyers get the special alloy wheels shod with 205/55 R16 low rolling resistance tyres, a visual gear change recommendation, lowered sports suspension and a tyre repair kit to replace the full size spare wheel.

Somewhat perversely, the biggest thre