The compact sedan market in the U.S. has just got a whole lot more interesting. The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta, unveiled on the eve of Detroit Motor Show, is not only much improved over the outgoing model, it is also cheaper. The Koreans are going to have a tough time dealing with this little German.
This four-door sedan with a coupe-like silhouette, upmarket looks and tons of tech features starts at just $18,545. You can find cars cheaper than the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta, but you would be hard pressed to find one that offers such a compelling package. The exterior design with its bold face and short overhangs has a really upscale feel to it. The interior features a modern design and premium materials. And the excellent MQB structure of the car is backed by a superb 1.4 liter TSI engine.
The 1.4-liter turbocharged and direct-injection TSI engine in the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta produces 147 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque – decent figures for a car in this class. The sedan is front-wheel drive, and you can have it with either a a new standard six-speed manual transmission, or an eight-speed automatic transmission which has standard Start/Stop system.
But the real trump card of the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta is the number of available tech features. If you spec this car up right, you can end up with Front Assist, Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Assist, and Light Assist, Volkswagen Digital Cockpit, 10-color ambient lighting, panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated leather seats, and 400-watt BeatsAudio system, and even a class exclusive Automatic Post-Collision Braking System. The new Jetta will reach the showrooms in the second quarter of 2018 in S, SE, SEL, and SEL Premium trim levels.
