The Jetta came to be in 1979, primarily due to the limited success of the Golf in the United States. Sedans were far more popular than hatchbacks back then, hence the German automaker's decision to launch the four-door Jetta for model year 1980.
That one's dubbed A1, whereas the seventh generation is referred to as – no surprises here – A7. Twinned with everything from the Golf to the Atlas on the MQB platform, this generation of the Jetta was facelifted in August 2021 for 2022. As part of the mid-cycle refresh, the old 1.4-liter TSI was replaced by a punchier and more frugal 1.5.
Volkswagen's product life cycles range between five and seven years, meaning that Wolfsburg's favorite son is cooking something for the Jetta. That something is believed to be the A8 rather than a facelift because it's high time for a new generation of the compact sedan. Described as "the revamped Jetta lineup" in the attached release, Volkswagen's new Jetta will hit showrooms in the United States of America in Q3 2024 for the 2025 model year.
It will be joined by the go-faster Jetta GLI, which could follow in the footsteps of the Golf GTI and Golf R by dropping the standard manual transmission. A front-wheel-drive affair, Jetta GLI packs 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet (350 Nm) from the EA888-series 2.0L TSI. By comparison, the 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI puts out 296 horses and 295 pound-feet (400 Nm).
There is no denying the 2025 model year Jetta will continue to rely on the 1.5-liter TSI. One can also make a case for the MQB platform being used yet again, for the Volkswagen Group doesn't have anything better than MQB for the time being.
Photo: Volkswagen
What else can we look forward to? Mildly different front and rear ends, of course, along with more standard kit for a higher starting price. Different integration for the base and high-end touchscreen infotainment systems could be on the menu as well. Naturally, we further expect a few more driver-assist systems and safety features than before.
Similar to the A7, the A8 will be assembled in North America by Volkswagen de Mexico. At press time, the Puebla-based facility produces the 2024 Volkswagen Jetta, Taos, and Tiguan. No fewer than 349,227 vehicles rolled off the assembly line in 2023. Unfortunately, the sales report for 2023 from Volkswagen of America reveals that Jetta sales totaled 43,408 in the United States.
That's nothing compared to the C-segment Corolla and Civic, which sold 232,370 and 200,381 units last year. The nation's favorite sedan remains the mid-size Camry, for it racked up 290,649 deliveries in this part of the world. Although accurate data isn't available, the Tesla Model 3 sedan is believed to have moved close to 233,000 units last year.
In addition to the Corolla and Civic, the revamped Jetta will face stiff competition from the Kia Forte-replacing K4 sedan. A hatchback-bodied K4 is on the menu as well, with engine choices ranging from a 147-hp 2.0L free-breathing I4 to a 1.6L turbo I4 with 190 hp.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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