The Volkswagen Jetta has a simple origin story. The compact, practical Mk1 Golf was a major hit in the 1970s, but not everyone was crazy about the hatchback body style. So, VW made a sedan version for the 1980 model year — the Jetta. It became a great cheap value car for young professionals, students and stick-shift-wielding German car enthusiasts on a budget alike, and has been a sales mainstay for VW ever since. If you grew up in the burbs, you likely knew at least one sibling, friend or classmate who drove a Jetta…if you didn’t drive one yourself.
VW debuted the current seventh-generation Jetta, which rides on the modern MQB platform, for the 2019 model year. It brings more distinctive style, updated tech, and a slight increase in size. I spent a week with the fully-loaded SEL Premium trim; I can’t say the Jetta offers the most engaging driving experience ever — I drove the legendary VW GTI just before, which may have biased my opinion — but it’s still a solid, composed little sedan. It refreshes a classic formula, and offers a substantial upgrade over its predecessor. And it’s easy to see why, even in a brutal market for sedans, Volkswagen still sold more than 100,000 of them last year.
The Jetta looks more sophisticated than the previous generation
Style may be the biggest change buyers notice with the Jetta. Unlike the bland sixth generation, this car actually has some. VW gave the new Jetta a bolder grille and sharp creases down the length of the body. It demands to be looked at…to the extent one would look at a budget sedan.
The interior feels clean and benefits from VW’s new digital instrument display, if you’re into that sort of thing, and the latest infotainment module. My two-year-old initially mistook it for “Baba’s car” — my dad drives a 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan — which didn’t feel entirely off base.
VW did apparently cut some corners. The Jetta carries over some switchgear and the same steering wheel VW has been using for ages. And if you start feeling around in areas you would only touch while searching for cheap plastic…you will find cheap plastic. But if you don’t review cars for a living, you won’t notice either of those things.