VW For A Penny: What Is The Budget Jetta Brand, Which May Appear In Russia

2023 Author: Natalie MacDonald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 13:59

In 2019, Volkswagen created and launched the budget sub-brand Jetta to the Chinese market. Not even a year has passed since the start of sales of the first model, and the line has already tripled. And everyone buys them! Therefore, the concern's divisions in other countries began to show interest in the Jets. Including in Russia. We figure out what kind of brand it is and what cars it sells

The car market in China is capable of impressing the untrained viewer. And not only a scattering of local brands, which are more widely represented at home than in Russia. There are also models unknown to the rest of the world from well-known manufacturers, and clone machines copied from Western originals. And the numbers: an enormous number of cars are sold in China every year!

More specifically, almost three tens of millions of cars purchased in 12 months is the norm for the PRC. Large European companies cannot but covet such volumes. Therefore, for example, VW has two joint ventures with Chinese companies. And over the past decade, they managed to double their share in this pie: FAW-VW and Shanghai Volkswagen had over three million sales in 2019!

Well, about a third of the giant market is the segment that we are used to calling the budget segment. These are relatively inexpensive models for those who choose reasonable-sufficient. For the most part, in this case we are talking about young and novice motorists.

In 2019, the regiment arrived in this: after long rumors about Volkswagen's plans, another brand with inexpensive cars appeared in China. Under the name Jett, familiar in almost all markets, they offered a cross between quite budget cars and full-fledged VW models. And the buyer was quickly found!

The numbers, as it should be in China, are impressive: the VS5 crossover and the VA3 sedan, which went on sale on September 5 and 16, respectively, by the end of the month are scattered with a total circulation of over 11 thousand pieces! Jett even admitted that demand exceeded the company's expectations by 30 percent. October gives another 12.5 thousand units, November - over 16 thousand! In December, there is an expected drop to more than nine thousand, and in January, sales soar to 17.5 thousand pieces!

However, the launch of the VS7 model at the beginning of 2020 has little effect on January statistics: the largest Jetta started with 649 sales. But even despite the pandemic that broke out in February (total sales of the Jett brand rolled back to 5.2 thousand), the dynamics of demand is impressive: in the same February, VS7 crossovers were sold over one and a half thousand units, in March - almost three thousand, and in April almost 4.2 thousand.

About eight months after Jett went on sale, brand executive Harald Müller says the sub-brand has already conquered about one percent of China's (ie, the world's largest) car market. And he adds something no less amusing: such a successful start aroused interest in other markets “in the Volkswagen world”. Russia is no exception.

It seems it's time to get acquainted with the Chinese VWs, which may appear on our roads. Moreover, they occupy a very attractive place in the complex hierarchy of the concern: they are not expensive, but still Volkswagens.

JettVA3

Two funny facts about the Jetta-four-door at once: firstly, the name that is dear to our eyes. And secondly, it is really made from a Volkswagen Jetta. True, we are talking about the Chinese version of the model, which, in turn, is built on the same base as the SkodRapid liftback familiar to us. By the way, the model is almost a cult for China: in 2010 alone, it sold over 2.6 million units. Well, the Jetta that is familiar to us and the rest of the world is called VW Sagitar in the Middle Kingdom and in its latest generation it is generally only long wheelbase.

The JettVA3 has a wheelbase of 2604 mm, a length of 4501 and a trunk of 546 liters. Under the hood can be exclusively a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated MPI engine producing 111.5 horsepower (145 Nm). It is paired with a five-speed "mechanics" and a six-speed "automatic" Aisin.

In the initial configuration, you can count on four speakers of the audio system, two airbags and a heated rear window. But there won't even be a USB port! However, as well as overpayments: the starting price tag in terms of is about $ 9,250 (about 630,000 rubles).

For about 10.2 thousand dollars (about 700,000 rubles), a "normal" version is available - with additional pillows and speakers, a full-fledged multimedia system with an 8-inch touchscreen, slightly improved interior trim, cruise control and rear parking sensors. For a car with an “automatic” with the same equipment, they will ask for almost 11.8 thousand dollars, and the top-end version is estimated at over 13 thousand dollars (about 890,000 rubles).

JettVS5

The sales locomotive of the young brand, which entered the market first, is a simplified version of the SkodKaroq / Seat Ateca. Interestingly, the demand for it is really the best: since the beginning of sales, the compact crossover has been bought more than two times better than the VA3 sedan. And in the third month of sales, it turned out to be four times more popular!

The VS5 is slightly longer than its European counterparts (4419 mm) with the same wheelbase (2638 mm). As in the case of the four-door Jetta, only one engine is offered - this is a 1.4-liter turbo engine with 150 forces and 250 Nm. The drive can only be front, the gearboxes are again a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic from Aisin.

Unlike the JettVA3, the compact SUV in the initial version will already receive a multimedia system, cruise control, parking sensors and even a leather steering wheel. Although the front side airbags from the start are still not required. Price: 11.9 thousand dollars with a penny (approximately 815,000 rubles). For a crossover with the same equipment, but an automatic transmission, they will ask for about 13.4 thousand (920,000 rubles).

The rich VS5 boasts 18-inch wheels, adaptive cruise control, richer trim, keyless entry and an electric driver's seat. The top crossover is estimated at about 15.8 thousand dollars (1,090,000 rubles).

JettVS7

The largest Jetta is an extended version of the VS5 model. This is a wheelbase that has grown to 2730 mm and an overall length of 4624 mm (plus a little 200 mm). With the engine, drive and gearboxes, the situation is identical with the VS5.

In terms of equipment, the larger crossover boasts an electric “handbrake”, air ducts for rear passengers, a climate control sensor unit, as well as wireless phone charging - and this is already in the basic configuration for 15 thousand dollars (about 1,030,000 rubles).

There can be richer modifications with a panoramic roof, a circular video review system, dual-zone climate control, 18-inch disks and more advanced multimedia, as well as … an ashtray! This, by the way, is a distinctive feature of the most expensive version, for which they ask for 19.2 thousand dollars (approximately 1.3 million rubles).

Will the Jett brand appear in Russia? Great question. European (and Japanese) brands have already burned themselves trying to sell openly cheaper models in Russia - the Renault brand with the Daci line of budget cars is gradually losing the market to Korean competitors, and the Datsun brand, which has been relaunched with a similar philosophy, recently announced its withdrawal from the Russian market.

On the other hand, an inexpensive "people's" car - isn't that what we all want?