Volkswagen Brings Jetta to LA With A Playful Party

What: Jetta Haus

Where: Playa Studios, Culver City

The Lowdown:

The sprawling 12,000 square-foot space of Playa Studios played host to a lively pop-up thrown by Volkswagen. The three-day event was meant to celebrate the all-new 2019 Volkswagen Jetta, so people could meet and greet the newcomer and get the inside scoop on its up-to-date features and quirks.

Inside, attendees milled about as EDM singer Ashe, who’s amassed a following of a little over 21,000 followers on Instagram, belted some pretty serious notes. She was decked out in a white tracksuit with electric blue stripes (though her outfit was a nod to the color scheme of the evening, it also didn’t seem too far off of Ashe’s color-happy aesthetic.) Ashe was one of the nine performers scheduled to perform during the three-day event.

But that’s not all that Volkswagen had in store. There were plenty of photo opportunities to go around—a white-and-blue wall made entirely out of donuts, an arcade-game station (which included Pac-man and Pinball), an interactive room and more. Since the event was automobile-based, the drinks were sans alcohol. But that doesn’t mean the offerings—virgin cocktails, boasting the yellows and reds of a sunset, finished with a floating slice of strawberry—didn’t have us going back for seconds.

Attendees who wanted to take the Jetta for a spin made the trip out to a nearby closed course where they were given an opportunity to lap around a maze of cones—under the supervision of a Jetta representative, of course.

As far as the vehicle goes, we were impressed by the interior, which boasts angular, clean lines that feel very geometric and very, well, German. The dashboard is streamlined and uncluttered, with built that doesn’t skimp of quality, which was especially impressive given its affordable $18,545 price tag. The same could be said about seats, which were plush and comfortable with ample legroom. The downside? The engine, which was short on that oomph we were looking for. But the Jetta GLI, which is slated to be released to the world later this year, promises a more powerful engine—an upgrade worth waiting for. We’ll raise our virgin drinks to that. Prost!