Vehicle prices are rising, the sedan segment keeps shrinking, and manual transmissions are dying out seemingly en masse.
There’s no doubt the automotive market is changing, and in order to hang on to what’s an increasingly precarious position, the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta has been updated, marking the model’s second brush-up in its seventh generation on the market.
A Value Play
Volkswagen Canada representatives explained that, although the company could have created a whole new Jetta, that would have contributed significantly to increasing the price of the vehicle — something it was eager to avoid. According to the automaker’s research, price and fuel efficiency are two of the biggest concerns for its customers. That drive to keep costs down also encouraged the automaker to keep a bare-bones base trim with no advanced driver aids.
The result is the Jetta Trendline, which has 16-inch wheels, cloth seats, and starts at $25,795 before freight and tax. That makes it cheaper than the segment’s biggest players — the Honda Civic, which starts around $29,000, and the Toyota Corolla that’s priced at about $26,000. Notably, the Jetta is slightly more expensive than the Hyundai Elantra (which starts at a little over $24,000). Meanwhile, the Nissan Sentra starts at $22,548 before freight and tax.
Less and More
Despite missing out on the full suite of advanced assistance features, Jetta drivers won’t exactly be roughing it. An eight-inch infotainment screen is now standard across the lineup, as is blind-spot monitoring, and a communications system that can get in touch with emergency services should you need them. Some shoppers may also be disappointed to learn that the touch capacitive HVAC controls are also now standard across all trims.
For those who have a little more cash to spend, there are even a few luxuries to be had. A wireless phone charger is available from the Comfortline trim (starting at $28,195) up, as is a sport suspension, adaptive cruise control, and more. Buyers can even get ventilated seats in the Highline trim ($32,195).
The 2025 Jetta is now also available with a newfangled upholstery material Volkswagen calls “Microcloud.” The material feels almost suede-like against your hand and is a welcome changeup from the leather and cloth that dominate the segment — and the industry. How the material will age remains to be seen (or felt), but in Atlantic Blue (paired with Storm Grey leatherette), it helps brighten up the interior.
A Small Design Change, a Big Improvement
The outside of the vehicle is much improved, too. The thinner, more Golf-like front end suits the sedan much better than its predecessor’s larger grille, which made it look a little frumpy. A trunk-wide light strip at the back of the Jetta also helps make it feel more modern and contributes to improving the overall design of the vehicle much more than you might expect.
Under the Hood
Behind the wheel, the 2025 Jetta’s powertrain is adequate and the turbocharged 1.5L four-cylinder engine’s 158 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque do a fine job of moving the car along. Unfortunately, the eight-speed automatic transmission still has some harshness at lower speeds, but it’s smoother on the highway.
Despite fuel economy being one of the major concerns identified by VW as being important to Jetta shoppers, the car is only mediocre in that regard. The automaker estimates it will burn 8.4 L/100 km of driving in the city, 6.1 on the highway, and 7.4 combined. According to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), that’s worse than the 2024 Civic, Corolla, or Hyundai Elantra, which consume 0.5 to 1.0 L/100 km less, respectively. Worse still, unlike those competitors, there’s no hybrid option, and Volkswagen says it has no plans to introduce one, leaving consumers focused on fuel economy with an obvious choice.
The fuel economy is even worse for the performance-focused Jetta GLI (9.1/6.5/8.0 L/100 km), although that’s to be expected. The carryover turbocharged 2.0L makes 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. That’s a little less than the latest Golf GTI, but enthusiasts should be grateful because that’s what allowed Volkswagen to keep the six-speed manual.
The last manual transmission in the automaker’s Canadian fleet as of 2025 (the transmission has been dropped from the standard Jetta for a lack of consumer interest), the Jetta GLI feels quite quick whether you opt for the three-pedal setup or the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
As before, the GLI benefits from a multilink rear suspension that’s stiffer than the standard model’s torsion beam setup and handles bumps more confidently. My only complaint with the GLI is that its steering wheel still has touch capacitive controls on it, and it doesn’t communicate that well with the driver in high-speed corners.
Final Thoughts
Overall, there isn’t much wrong with the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta (nor the Jetta GLI). It has enough power, handles well enough, feels comfortable enough, and has a decent technology package. But it doesn’t really excel in any way, either. It’s not the cheapest sedan in the segment, and it isn’t particularly fuel-efficient, meaning that although this update is welcome, it isn’t a roaring success, either.
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