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FAW-Volkswagen began to produce Jetta cars at the end of 1991, which made Chinese people know the brand, and also opened the era of Volkswagen’s magic car in China (although Santana was produced earlier in China, its influence in China was not as good as that of the later Jetta). The old Jetta was produced in China for more than 20 years, and it became one of consumers’ favorite family cars.
However, without the establishment of FAW-Volkswagen, this model should have stopped production in July 1992 (FAW-Volkswagen allowed its production to continue for another 20 years). Moreover, many people think that FAW-Volkswagen’s Jetta King 20V should be the highest performance model in the old Jetta, but this is not the case … Lao Ye will talk about some situations of the original old Jetta in Germany.
The old Jetta is the second generation model of Volkswagen Jetta series, also known as Jetta 2, which came out in 1984. It uses the same chassis as Volkswagen Golf 2, and most parts between them are common. Jetta 2 has a pre-version and a post-version, and there are many differences in appearance between them. The bumper of the previous version of Jetta 2 was smaller, with the front door window and triangular window, the rearview mirror was in different positions, there was no scuff strip on the door, and the tire size was smaller … The whole car had a strong family car style in the late 1970s.
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In 1987, three years after listing, Volkswagen made the first small change to Jetta 2 and launched the mid-term version of Jetta 2. The mid-term version and the early version are easy to distinguish in appearance. The design of the net in the later version has changed, the triangular window of the front door window has been removed, and the rearview mirror position has moved forward, but the bumper is still as thin as the early version.
In August, 1989, Volkswagen upgraded the technology of Jetta 2 again, and the final version of Jetta 2 came out. Its lower body underwent plastic surgery, and a plastic-sprayed skirt was added (this kind of side skirt was previously only used in Jetta sport GLi) and a thicker bumper was adopted. This is the square-headed old Jetta that China fans are familiar with.
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In terms of configuration, the configuration is different for different markets. The configuration of the European version is relatively simple. In the 1980s, most family cars sold in West Germany did not have air conditioning. In order to meet the higher demand of some European consumers, ABS braking system appeared in the selection list of European Jetta in 1989. In 1990, Volkswagen introduced the "Flair" version of Jetta, in which the GL model was equipped with suede interior, central door lock, skylight, height-adjustable driver’s seat, green glass and other advanced configurations.
The United States is the largest overseas market of Jetta 2, and its competitors are stronger, and the configuration requirements of American consumers are higher. In the 1980s, many Jetta 2 sold in the United States were equipped with electric windows, electric rearview mirrors and a 3-speed automatic gearbox. The configuration level far exceeds that of FAW-Volkswagen Jetta in the 1990s.
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With regard to power, the German original Jetta 2 is very rich in configuration. When it was launched in January 1984, there were three types of gasoline power, with displacement of 1.3 liters, 1.6 liters and 1.8 liters respectively. Among them, 1.3-liter and 1.6-liter carburetor four-cylinder engines run through the whole production cycle of Jetta made in Germany (from 1984 to 1992), and the maximum power of these two engines is 54 horsepower and 75 horsepower respectively (this is the "long-standing" 1.6-liter and 75-horsepower engine used in the carburetor version of Jetta of FAW-Volkswagen in the 1990s), and the maximum power of the 1.8-liter carburetor engine is 90 horsepower.
From the end of 1984 to 1987, four 1.8-liter fuel injection gasoline engines (without catalytic converter) were added to the power configuration of Jetta. The maximum power of these four engines was 90 HP, 112 HP, 112 HP and 139 HP, and the 139-horsepower 1.8-liter 16-valve engine was equipped on the top-mounted Jetta GT 16V. In order to meet the emission requirements, Volkswagen has also introduced 1.3-liter, 1.6-liter and 1.8-liter gasoline engines with catalytic converters, and the power level is lower than that of engines without catalytic converters.
From 1986 to 1991, Jetta used the catalytic converter with the movement model GT/GLI/GTX 16V, and its power was a 1.8-liter 129-horsepower fuel injection engine. In 1990, when the installation process of FAW-Volkswagen production line reached the final stage, the American version of the old Jetta ushered in its last new power; The 2.0-liter 16-valve EFI engine, with a maximum power performance of 136 horsepower, was first-class at that time. It became the power of Jetta GTX and GLI 16V. No matter the initial version of 1.8 16V or the later version of 2.0 16V, their performance exceeds that of FAW-Volkswagen Jetta King 1.6 20V, which was produced in 1997. In addition to the gasoline engine, Volkswagen also provided Jetta with four diesel power options, three of which are turbocharged diesel engines.
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From its appearance in 1984 to 1992, Jetta’s main market was outside Europe, among which the American market was the most important. In the late 1980s, it was Volkswagen’s biggest selling model in the United States. However, compared with Japanese cars in the same period, it is at a disadvantage in technical content and comprehensive quality, and it is only a family car with limited influence in the European and American family car market. Originally, the old Jetta had to withdraw from the market in obscurity, but it ushered in its first spring in China. (There are still many shortcomings in this article, and fans are welcome to add them.)
(Article source: Ye Hong 2011)