DEXTER, Mich. — The 2025 Volkswagen Jetta is an indication that sedans aren’t useless — no less than not for Volkswagen. Whereas others are axing the low-slung four-doors from their lineups, the Jetta stays VW’s third-best vendor in the USA behind the Tiguan and Atlas. For 2025, the Jetta will get some mild updates to spruce it up for its loyal clients, and we obtained to drive it — together with the sporty GLI — to refresh our reminiscences.
Exterior, the Jetta will get just a little little bit of a nip and tuck up entrance and within the rear. The higher and decrease grilles have been up to date, and it will get new LED headlights with an obtainable mild bar throughout the nostril. In again, there’s a slight tweak to the trunk lid, together with an ordinary mild bar stretching throughout it. The Jetta SE will get new 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, whereas the SEL and GLI get 18-inchers. The SE and GLI are additionally provided with black wheel packages. Lastly, two new exterior colours be part of the palette: Monterey Blue Pearl and Monument Gray.
Inside, the sprint has been revised with a brand new design comprising three horizontal bars flanking the usual 8-inch infotainment touchscreen and gauge cluster, and serving to to camouflage the air vents. Regardless of which trim you select, you get the “Climatronic” contact controls for the HVAC, which we’ve began to get used to — we’ve discovered that tapping both the pink or blue finish is significantly simpler than attempting to exactly slide your finger to regulate the temperature, particularly if you happen to’re attempting to maintain your eyes on the street. We normally favor the performance of one thing extra tactile, just like the older HVAC knobs the Jetta used to make use of, however the sliders undoubtedly give the cabin a extra upscale look. The 8-inch infotainment show nonetheless feels just a little dated, however wi-fi Apple CarPlay made life straightforward on us when attempting to hearken to our personal tunes whereas navigating with Waze. And, fortunately, the Jetta employs quantity and tuning knobs, in addition to infotainment buttons to the perimeters of the particular display, which make menu navigation simpler. We appreciated the “Digital Cockpit” that comes commonplace within the Jetta, measuring 8 inches within the S, Sport and SE, or 10.25 inches within the SEL and GLI.
The Jetta’s similar engines stay for 2025. For the usual Jetta, that’s a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four making 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. The one transmission pairing for that energy plant is an eight-speed automated — Volkswagen stated the take charge for the handbook in non-GLI trims was round 5%. The GLI, on the opposite, has a 2.0-liter turbo-four making 228 hp and 258 lb-ft, and it may be mated to both a seven-speed DSG or a six-speed handbook transmission.
That’s large information since you may now not get the GTI with a handbook, that means if you wish to #SaveTheManuals, you’ll should get a GLI. You shouldn’t be alone, no less than. VW expects the handbook to make up about 30% of GLI gross sales in the USA, which isn’t unhealthy.
Our first stint round a few of our favourite roads in southeast Michigan befell in an SEL. Should you’ve pushed the Jetta any time not too long ago, it’ll really feel acquainted, with ample low-end energy that tapers off as you attain greater speeds and better revs. Steering is mild and easy, however responsive sufficient to really feel entertaining as you transition from one nook to the following on a slim, winding street. The chassis feels nicely managed, even with the Jetta’s commonplace torsion beam rear suspension. There’s little or no roll, and it feels easy and relaxed tracing over awkward undulations within the pavement; it’s much more composed and comfy on better-engineered surfaces. So far as the trip and dealing with are involved, the Jetta comes off as extra premium than its section suggests.
We obtained to spend much more time in a pink GLI outfitted with the handbook transmission, and it was pleasant. The clutch pedal is mild and easy. The shifter itself doesn’t present a lot tactile data as to what gear you’re placing it in, however the shifter does a wonderful job of guiding the stick residence with every gear, nonetheless. As soon as used to the ethereal numbness from each the left foot and proper hand, confidence develops and shifts develop into fast and seamless.
It additionally lets you take advantage of the additional energy going to the entrance wheels. It’s not troublesome to elicit wheelspin by the complete first gear, and coax a major yelp from the tires shifting into second. As soon as that’s obtained your pulse primed, no matter comes subsequent is simply icing, whether or not it’s a continued wringing of revs by the gears or organising for that upcoming nook. Higher but, take the GLI again down to an entire cease and do it over again. It’s a uncommon deal with to get this expertise in a sub-$35,000 sedan — it tastes like 2010 in all the most effective methods.
The GLI does really feel a bit extra related to the street than lesser Jettas because of its multi-link rear suspension, but it surely gained’t punish these inside with an uncomfortable trip. It felt simply as pure grabbing groceries because it did squealing round these lonely again roads. And whenever you’re not dwelling life up in opposition to the automobile’s redline, that handbook transmission is an absolute gem whenever you’re attempting to summon limo ranges of smoothness. With just a bit little bit of intention, you may pull off gear swap after gear swap with out the slightest sensation of a momentum change making its manner into the cabin. Strive that in a WRX. It ain’t straightforward.
Should you’re seeking to get into the 2025 Jetta GLI, there’s simply the one trim, and it begins at $33,940 (together with $1,225 in vacation spot), and the worth is identical whether or not you go for the six-speed handbook or seven-speed DSG. If in case you have no want for the additional energy and the enjoyable that comes with it, the Jetta begins at $23,220 for the bottom S trim and its now-standard eight-speed auto, and goes on as much as $30,225 for the SEL. Whether or not you’re on the lookout for the reasonably priced, refined drive of the usual Jetta or the uncommon, nonetheless reasonably priced pleasure the GLI gives, they hit sellers on the finish of Q3. We all know which one we’d choose.
