2025 Volkswagen Jetta Photos, engines & full specs

After six years on the market, the seventh generation of the Jetta received a second update for the 2025 model year, and besides some aesthetic changes, it also came with a significant improvement for the drivetrain.

Volkswagen introduced the seventh generation of the Jetta, the A7, in 2018 and refreshed it in 2021 with a proper update. However, the German automaker didn’t feel the need to launch the eighth generation of it in 2024 for the 2025 model year. Instead, it upgraded it enough to make it appealing and improve the standard equipment for both engine versions. The car still relied on the same trustworthy MQB A1 platform shared with the Golf and the Taos. For the base engine version, the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta came in three grades: the S, the SE, and the SEL. In addition, the automaker offered the so-called Golf GTI with a trunk, which was the GLI model that came with a more potent engine, among other advantages.

At the front, the car had a completely fresh fascia that featured a narrower upper grille compared to the previous version of the car. It also had redesigned LED headlights connected with a light stripe for the upper grades and L-shaped daytime running lights. On the lower side of the bumper, the automaker installed a trapezoidal-shaped center air intake underlined by a chromed trim and flanked by a pair of triangular vertical side scoops.

From its profile, the compact sedan was among the largest in its market segment and had a sleek appearance. Even though it wasn’t a sports sedan, it looked sporty but not too aggressive. Its raised rear deck sported a redesigned trunk lid. The 2025 Volkswagen Jetta was fitted as standard with 17-inch alloy wheels for the S and SE trims, while the SEL was fitted with 18-inch ones. At the back, the car got restyled LED taillights that were wider and connected via a red stripe that ran across the trunk’s lid and integrated the chromed Jetta nameplate. On the lower side of the bumper, Volkswagen still kept the fake exhaust design, which many considered outdated.

Customers found a completely redesigned dashboard inside the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta. Unlike the previous version, the one launched in 2021, the newer model came with a free-floating design for the infotainment’s system touchscreen. Even the vents were different, resembling those from the car’s bigger brother, the Passat. The horizontal trims and the driver-centered look of the center stack were more appealing and looked much more modern. Fronting the driver was an LCD for the instrument panel for the entire range, and there was no option for any analog dials in the cabin. Volkswagen also understood its clients’ requests for physical buttons and left some of them around the cabin, such as those for sound systems’ volume. For the S grade, the 2025 Jetta had cloth seats, while the SE came with perforated, two-tone Microcloud leatherette seating surfaces. Those who wished for more could get the SEL trim level that unlocked access to the perforated Vienna leather seating surfaces in either Grey/Titan Black or a new Brown/Titan Black color combination with Horizon Black decor.

Under its skin, the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta had only one engine/gearbox combo available. Volkswagen was confident that the 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline powerplant was everything a regular driver would need for a daily. The inline-four unit was paired with a standard eight-speed automatic transmission supplied by Aisin, and it was not a dual-clutch gearbox. Like its predecessor, it came with an independent suspension up front and a torsion beam in the back.