It鈥檚 got a solid following but other compact sedans such as the Chevy Cruze, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra, and Toyota Corolla have easily outdistanced the Jetta on the sales charts in recent years. In a bid to close that gap, Volkswagen is introducing the all-new (except for the engine) 2019 Jetta. Less squared off and more coupe-like, the 2019 Jetta joins the trend to put some excitement in sedans, a segment that鈥檚 lost a lot of buyers to SUVs and crossovers as of late. The new, seventh-generation Jetta is now based on the same MQB modular transverse-engine vehicle architecture that underpins the current VW Golf, Tiguan and Atlas, as well as the Audi A3 and TT. The 2019 Jetta is nearly 3 inches longer than last year鈥檚 version, yet interior legroom and trunk space shrink a bit. That鈥檚 because the new Jetta is placing a greater emphasis on emotional styling, resulting in a compact sedan that鈥檚 now less squared-off than its predecessors. Highlights include a more rounded nose and a hint of a coupe-like roofline. Six contoured ribs accent a longer hood and a wraparound chrome grille adds some bling.
Setting the stage are a slightly wider track and longer wheelbase, which give the new Jetta a more road-ready stance. 100 less expensive than last year鈥檚 version, despite adding standard 16-inch alloy wheels, LED exterior lighting and an electric parking brake. Upgraded with more soft-touch surfaces, the new 2019 Jetta maintains a simple, driver-oriented layout and ample interior space for five adults. Inside, the Jetta鈥檚 cockpit is completely redone for 2019, with an emphasis on upgraded materials and more soft-touch surfaces. The layout is clean and angular, more driver-oriented, and the basic elements that have worked so well in past Jettas are present and accounted for. They include firm, supportive seats that don鈥檛 turn into Iron Maidens after an hour or so behind the wheel, good outward visibility, and logical switch and control layouts that don鈥檛 use up eyes-off-the-road time to figure out and operate. Headroom and shoulder room increase a fraction of an inch, while legroom is down slightly compared to the 2018 model.
No worries, though, as the 2019 Jetta will easily transport five adults in reasonable comfort. The rear seat is split 60/40 and folds to expand the trunk鈥檚 14.1 cu.-ft. LED mood lighting in ten driver-selectable hues. 27,795) brings heated and ventilated front and heated rear seats, perforated leather all around, and a power driver鈥檚 seat with memory settings. On those same uplevel Jettas, there鈥檚 also a new, 10.25-inch configurable Digital Cockpit instrument panel display that allows the driver to select from five different gauge layouts. They range from a digital facsimile of the standard analog tach and speedometer to, on the SEL Premium, one that displays a full-width navigation map with small-font digital readouts of the gear selected and current speed along the lower border. Jetta SEL and SEL Premium add a Virtual Cockpit instrument display with five settings that also includes this full navigation map display. Despite the lower, entry pricing, all 2019 Jettas come standard with a Bluetooth-enabled touchscreen-display audio system with pinch, swipe and gesture control. It measures 6.5 inches across on the Jetta S, SE and R-Line and spans 8 inches on SEL and SEL Premium trims.
Also standard is VW鈥檚 Car-Net App Connect smartphone integration that enables Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink. There鈥檚 even a smartwatch version of the system. While the standard 4-speaker AM/FM radio in the Jetta S, SE and R-Line gets the job done, the SEL and SEL Premium models receive a new 400-watt Beats Audio system. The digitally enhanced Beats system restores the CD player dropped from the base radio, adds a pair of USB inputs, includes both SiriusXM and HD Radio and belts out big sound via nine speakers including a built-in subwoofer. Volkswagen鈥檚 turbocharged 1.4-liter 4-cylinder sounds unimpressive at 147 horsepower, but with 184 lb.-ft. 1,400 rpm, the car delivers swift acceleration. Done. Last year鈥檚 170-hp, 1.8-liter turbo, which powered the midrange SE Sport and SEL models? Not offered this year. The 1.4-liter is actually down 3 horsepower this year to 147 hp at 5,000 rpm. Not that you鈥檒l want to take this engine to its upper rev range at every shift.
