2025 Volkswagen Jetta First Look

VW's compact sedan gets new looks and more tech for 2025.

Andrew Ganz | 

Jul 5, 2024 | 3 min read

Volkswagen

The 2025 Volkswagen Jetta has new exterior and interior styling, plus a price that's slightly lower than an equivalent outgoing 2024 model despite the addition of a few more features.

Let's take a look at what's new for 2025 with the VW Jetta.

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Jetta's New, GTI-Inspired Front End Gives Way to a Fresh Interior

The 2025 Jetta trades last year's big headlights and gaping grille for more taut, comparatively subtle lines up front. All models have a much thinner grille that sits above a front bumper with large air inlets and a boomerang-like lower accent that can be silver or red depending on the trim level.

The Jetta sees fewer tweaks at the rear, where its taillights now connect via a thin bar. Unchanged are the Jetta's proportions and side profile, which have stuck around since its last 2019 model-year redesign.

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Inside, VW revised the Jetta's dash and put a newly standard 8.0-inch touchscreen up high above new touch-capacitive automatic climate controls, which replace the conventional buttons and knobs used in last year's model. Touch-capacitive buttons have been added to the Jetta's three-spoke steering wheel, too.

VW updated the Jetta's dash trim with a new metallic bar that runs from the touchscreen all the way to the passenger-side air vent. The Jetta's interior upholstery options include two types of cloth, perforated synthetic leather, or real leather.

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All-Turbo Lineup but One Less Manual for the 2025 Jetta

The 2025 VW Jetta sticks with a 158-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder in most trim levels. It's paired exclusively with an eight-speed automatic transmission; if you're craving the ability to change gears the old-fashioned way, you need to opt for the GLI and its more powerful engine.

Step up to the Jetta GLI and Volkswagen swaps in a 228-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which sends power to the front wheels through a torque-sensing limited-slip differential with an electronic lock. This sporty version of the Jetta also rides on adaptive dampers to take the edge off its 18-inch alloy wheels.

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Unlike the VW Golf GTI hatchback, the Jetta GLI sedan sticks with a stick for 2025. A six-speed manual is standard, while a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is optional. VW has said that the 2024 model year will be the last for a manual transmission in the GTI hatchback for the U.S. market.

VW has not yet estimated fuel consumption for the 2025 Jetta. Last year's base model was estimated as high as 30/41/34 mpg city/highway/combined with the same powertrain as the 2025 model, though. Last year's GLI was estimated at 24/35/28 mpg.

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More Features and a Lower Starting Price Than Last Year

The 2025 Jetta lineup again consists of S, Sport, SE, and SEL trim levels, plus the more powerful Jetta GLI.

When it goes on sale during the third quarter of 2024, the Mexico-built 2025 Jetta will cost $23,220 to start, including a mandatory $1,225 destination charge. The cheapest Jetta S with an automatic was $23,460 in 2024.

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Factoring in the newly standard automatic transmission, the 2025 Jetta costs less than last year's model. It also now includes automatic climate control and an 8.0-inch touchscreen on all trim levels, features previously reserved for higher-end versions. All Jettas also have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, which VW calls App-Connect. Higher-end models add features such as heated and cooled front seats and a moonroof.

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Andrew Ganz

Andrew Ganz has had cars in his blood ever since he gnawed the paint off of a diecast model as a toddler. After growing up in Dallas, Texas, he earned a journalism degree, worked in public relations for two manufacturers, and served as an editor for a luxury-lifestyle print publication and several well-known automotive websites. In his free time, Andrew loves exploring the Rocky Mountains' best back roads—when he’s not browsing ads for his next car purchase.