There are a lot of cars we miss from the past Volkswagen lineup. There was the Golf, of course, the Tiguan, and the Jetta. The Jetta, particularly in its final years here, were good value, bringing in great value and European flair.
It’s been years since the Volkswagen Jetta was sold officially in the country, and we still wish it was sold here, especially since the new generation premiered in 2018. Now, it’s been given a bit of an update. Just in time, too, given that its chief rival, the Honda Civic, recently got one as well.
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The new Jetta gets several styling enhancements on the outside. For starters, there’s a redesigned front fascia with a new bumper and grille. The ’25 model also comes with reconfigured headlights for a sharper, cleaner look. Volkswagen even added an illuminated bar in the grille as an option for those who are interested.
New wheel options are also part of the 2025 update with the option of upgrading to an 18-inch set for higher trim levels. At the back, it now comes with full-width tail lights for a more dynamic appearance. Other changes include additional color choices and the deletion of 16-inch wheel options.
Inside, the ’25 Volkswagen Jetta has what’s called a ‘three-line’ dashboard. It’s another way of saying it has a simplified and more upmarket-looking dash. We’re also glad to report that there are physical buttons present in there, bucking the trend seen in most European cars these days.
In terms of tech, It comes with an eight-inch infotainment screen across the range. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is also standard. Advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) are also included in all variants. Dubbed IQ.Drive, it includes most of the things you’d expect in ADAS bundles, namely autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane-keep assist, and the like.
Moving on to engines, most variants come with a 1.5-liter turbo engine that makes 158hp and 250Nm of torque. The six-speed manual option has been dropped from this engine, and the only way to go is with an eight-speed automatic.
For those who want more punch should go for the GLI model that gives the Jetta a 2.0-liter turbo. Essentially a sedan version of the Golf GTI, the Jetta GLI puts out 228hp and 350Nm of torque. Thankfully, the six-speed manual transmission has been retained for that, although a seven-speed dual clutch remains an option.
It's unlikely that we'll ever get this model here given that the Jetta is only for the Americas and China these days. Still, that didn't stop VW Philippines back then from importing them from Mexico back then. Besides, it would be nice to have another true global VW (aside from the T-Cross) in the local lineup.
