Volkswagen just unveiled a brand-new Jetta at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show and it's a good example of how automakers should design interiors for compact cars. Brands that want to move upmarket should take notes. On the other hand, the sedan's exterior design is a complete mess. For three reasons.

First, the headlamps are terrible. They're way to big for the front fascia, and combined with the massive grille, they ruin the DNA that makes a Volkswagen highly recognizable. Put a different badge on a Passat or a Golf and you'll still know it's a Volkswagen. Put a Toyota badge on the new Jetta and it becomes a Corolla. Not that there's anything wrong with the Corolla.

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Second, and this is an issue I addressed when Volkswagen released the design sketches, the rear fascia is basically taken from the Audi A4. And things didn't get any better with the production model. Just look at them side by side. Notice how the split taillights become narrower toward the center fascia and how the spoiler, the bumper, the lower red lights, and the diffuser-like element are identical on the two cars. Okay, so maybe the section underneath the taillights has a more sculpted design, but it still takes a closer look to tell whether you're looking at a Volkswagen or an Audi.

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Third, and this is something I missed when I first saw the sketches, the protruding beltline that runs from the front bumper into the taillights, straight through the door handles, looks a lot like the character line of the BMW 3 Series. Add in the fact that the quarter window has Hoffmeister Kink-like design and the styling mess is complete.

And this is exactly what's wrong with automakers today: they can no longer come up with an original design. I get that Volkswagen wants to move closer to the premium segment, but there must be a way of doing that without cutting the rear end off an Audi A4. But hey, people will still buy it. Because it will remind them of the A4 and 3 Series that they can't afford.

References

Volkswagen Jetta

Read our full review on the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta.

New VW Jetta Bows in Detroit, Redefines Compact Segment with Premium Features

Read more Detroit Auto Show news.

Read more Pops' Rants news.