With a 1.4 L Hybrid TSI engine and electric motor (combined 170 hp output), the Jetta Hybrid SEL will forever be known as the Little Jetta that could..
What it did was impress me both on the road and within the cabin where I lowered the 60/40 split back seats and loaded the car up with a weekend’s worth of camping gear including a six person tent. Impressive! Especially since the vehicle’s electric battery took up a decent amount of trunk space.
Regardless of the impediment though, once the VW was packed I drove it to a private campground just North of Austin called Krause Springs which featured canopies of trees and numerous spring-fed swimming holes.
In preparation for my trip I opened the sunroof and noticed it had a vent hood to reduce cabin wind and reduced noise from the open roof. I then set my destination on the vehicle’s navigation system. The GPS was an easy to use touch screen which also doubled as an infotainment system. The navigation accepted all addresses entered throughout my journey and would route and at times re-route appropriately. However, it would have helped more if the GPS provided more route options and a more detailed map overview.
Once I started the very quiet hybrid I began my journey which encountered highways, city streets, and back roads. The Jetta provided a very smooth ride, great acceleration, handling, and responsive regenerative braking. During controlled serpentines I noticed that the vehicle could have stuck to the road a little better but did not perform poorly. During testing it was found that a few parameters needed to be in place before one could switch to the vehicle’s energy-saving E-Mode. For starters, one must be traveling below 45 mph, and the transmission cannot be in sport or triptronic modes (if equipped). There were multiple times when I was within these parameters yet was still not able to achieve re-programming the vehicle to perform in E-Mode. A message would display on the gauge cluster stating that the vehicle was not able to achieve E-Mode. After later re-reading the driver’s manual I was not able to obtain further information or parameters which would need to be achieved in order to operate in this mode.
The 2013 VW Jetta Hybrid SEL is part of the manufacturer’s sixth generation and although this generation was ‘made over’ in 2011, the model does not fare much differently (as far as the exterior design) than the original model which was created in 1979. Granted today’s model is longer and less square, it is easy to see it is a Jetta descendant.
Through the years there were earlier models known for having plastic(y) interior parts - some of which were not extremely durable. My family at one time owned a previous generation Jetta and had problems with the driver’s door arm rest and skinny middle console. We had to replace both parts at least two times due to the console latch breaking, or other various issues. However, in this model upon inspection, the door armrest seems much more durable and the middle console (which slides out to adjust) is not as skinny and seem to be better made than they used to be. The interior also featured comfortable seats with a six-way powered driver’s seat. Those seated in the back are provided with adequate leg room. When it came time to pack up the vehicle there are a few awkward and inconvenient steps that need to take place. The back seats do not have a lever by the head rests in order to fold the seats down. To lie the seats down there are two pullies located in the trunk (one for each side 60/40 split). Which means in order to lie them down one needs to go to the trunk and open it, pull the levers, and then make their way up to the back seats and pull them down.
Although lying the seats down seemed a little antiquated and odd, the manufacturer did provide much thought into the safety features of the vehicle. Safety features such as LATCH, Anti slip regulation (which reduces engine power while re-directing and adjusting power during wheel spin) are included in the Jetta. The model also received a Five Star side impact crash rating with a four star overall vehicle score by the NHTSA.
The hybrid system includes an 8 year/1000,000 mile warranty and the vehicle achieves 42 mpg city/48 mpg hwy.
Cost $30,155 (after destination)
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