Volkswagen’s updated Jetta and Jetta GLI models make their debut this week, with the revised line-up expected to reach showrooms later this year. We could see a welcome upgrade in performance, as well as modest design tweaks. But might the manual gearbox be going away? Here’s what we know so far.
The 2024 Volkswagen Jetta and Jetta GLI.
Volkswagen is making a number of updates to its U.S. line-up and the process begins with the launch of the 2025 Jetta and Jetta GLI. The automaker has offered a teaser image ahead of their formal debut this week.
But, while VW isn’t saying much more about the “revamped Jetta lineup,” here’s what Headlight.News has been able to piece together.
“Let’s Go!”
Officially, the 2025 models are mid-cycle refreshes. And that usually brings modest tweaks to plastic parts, such as the front fascia, along with some minor interior trim updates and perhaps a new tech feature or two.
Expect minor updates to the 2024 VW Jetta GLI interior.
But the choice of this teaser image, with the words, “Let’s Go!” paired with the icon for the German Autobahn suggests there will be more in store, possibly including a bit of an upgrade to the GLI’s relatively uninspired powertrain.
The base Jetta currently delivers an anemic 158 horsepower. The GLI does offer a bit more grunt, but 228 hp isn’t the sort of number that can really inspire potential buyers, especially at a time when sedans are little more than an afterthought.
One possibility being rumored is that VW could take that up a notch, coming closer to the 296 ponies the updated 2025 Golf GTI will make.
Will the Jetta manual survive?
But there’s another question generating some concern: will Volkswagen drop the manual gearbox currently available for the Jetta line-up?
The 2024 model’s stick is one amongst a rapidly dwindling universe of manual transmissions. And VW has already dropped that option for the updated 2025 Golf.
Automakers are finding little reason to keep them in the line-up considering not only the added cost but the reality that the latest alternatives, especially dual-clutch manumatics, are actually quicker off the line, as well as more fuel efficient.
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What’s next?
The fact that Volkswagen is retaining the Jetta in any form should be seen as good news for those who still want an affordable four-door passenger car. First seen in the U.S. in 1980, the seventh-generation, or A7, package has an opportunity to gain traction as the decades-long shift from sedans to SUVs begins to slow down.
Powertrain updates clearly could enhance the appeal of the Jetta and Jetta GLI, but look for some other upgrades for 2025. That should include the requisite front and rear fascia revisions and modest interior tweaks. The mid-cycle refresh playbook often calls for new paint colors, as well.
Don’t be surprised to see some tweaks to the current infotainment system. That’s most likely going to focus on software, rather than introducing new hardware, such as bigger base and upgrade screens. And it would be downright odd if Volkswagen didn’t add any new advanced driver assistance technologies, as well, considering most simply require the addition of new lines of code.
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