Volkswagen's freshened 2022 Jetta sedan, which features a slightly larger engine, more standard equipment and modest styling changes intended to keep the brand's entry-level vehicle attractive to newcomers to VW, has a price.
The entry-level Trendline will start at $24,345. It will also be offered in Comfortline and Highline trims. The 2022 Jetta GLI is offered in one trim with an MRSP of $33,345 for manual transmission and $32,995 MSRP for the automatic transmission.
The latest Jetta gets new front and rear fascias and a new grille to differentiate it from the outgoing model. It receives interior upgrades as well, including a standard 8-inch digital cockpit instrument cluster and heated side mirrors. VW's Car-Net infotainment software suite comes standard on the Comfortline model.
Under the hood, the previous standard 1.4-litre base engine has been replaced with a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine that makes 158 hp, up 11 hp from the previous model. The engine is mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox or an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, giving the Jetta more torque at lower rpms than the current engine.
The sporty Jetta GLI will come standard with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine paired to either a six-speed manual transmission or available seven-speed automatic gearbox that makes 228 hp and 258 pound-feet of torque.
On the driver-assistance front, the 2022 Jetta now comes standard with blind-spot monitoring, front-assist braking and pedestrian monitoring, as well as rear cross traffic alert.
The Jetta is VW's third-bestselling model in Canada behind the Tiguan and Atlas. Through the first three quarters of the year, VW had sold 9,964 Jettas in Canada, up 22 per cent from a year earlier.
Even though sedan sales continue to fall in the industry, Jetta "remains an important volume car for our brand," said Hein Schafer, senior vice president for product and strategy with VW Group of America. "There's still a place for compact sedans and we still want to compete in that segment with the Jetta."
