Volkswagen's popular Jetta compact sedan was completely redesigned in 2019, and it's already time for a refresh. The updated Jetta gains new front and rear fascias, more standard technology, and a more powerful engine.

The standard Jetta has received a refreshed front bumper with a full-width lower grille and integrated vertical fog lights in front, as well as tweaked taillights with red turning signal inserts replacing last year's amber units in the rear. The rear bumper now bears a chrome strip connecting the two rear reflectors, which are thinner and closer together than before. As for the GLI, the new front bumper has the same full-width lower grille as the regular model, except with a body-color border around the fog lights to add character. the rear has been given an all-new rear bumper as well, but it is separate from the non-GLI Jetta. Instead of including a chrome accent, the rear bumper only consists of black sheetmetal and a honeycomb rear diffuser, with the smaller rear reflectors on top of it. Two large exhaust outlets have also been added.

The new Jetta is more powerful than before too, with the old 1.4 liter 4-cylinder being replaced by the 1.5 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder TSI unit found in the Taos crossover. It upgrades from 147 to 158 horsepower at minimum, and now produces 184 pound-feet of torque. The engine is paired with an eight speed automatic, which VW describes as "smooth-shifting," but you can also opt for a six-speed manual. Its faster GLI counterpart runs on the same 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine as before, which makes about 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It comes standard with the six-speed manual, with the smooth seven-speed dual-clutch automatic marked as optional. Since this is just a facelift, the Jetta is still built on Volkswagen's MQB platform, and you'll still find a strut front suspension with a torsion beam rear suspension. The GLI features a multi-link rear suspension instead. The GLI also has a VAQ electronic limited slip differential with an active damping system and XDS cross differential system.

The Volkswagen Jetta's four trim levels have not been specified, but it means that one of the higher end trims from last year has been dropped. The base model remains the S, and it comes with a lot more standard features. You'll now see a 8.0" infotainment display, standard digital gauge cluster, and more safety features as standard. The new R-Line trim level, which is a cheaper version of the GLI, has been replaced by the Sport trim. The Jetta Sport is positioned just above the S base model to make it as affordable as possible. It comes with standard 17-inch aluminum-alloy rims in dark graphite, the GLI's XDS electronic differential lock and black mesh grille, cloth sport seats, black side mirror caps and window trim, and a black headliner. The Jetta GLI is offered in one single trim level, so that means it comes with tons of standard features like LED projector lights, and new exhaust pipes with more refined acoustics.

Out of the seven exterior color shades available, three new colors are available, including Oryx White, Kings Red, and Rising Blue. Five distinct colors will be offered on the GLI model. 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels is the standard option on the 2022 Jetta, with the GLI featuring 18-inch ones. Black wheel packages and 17-inch rims are additionally offered. Inside, you'll find tons of good upgrades, starting with the new 8-inch infotainment system as standard. The GLI has a new 10-inch Digital Cockpit Pro system. Both models now include digital gauges as standard across the board, which is definitely an attractive feature. Volkswagen Car Net with a WiFi hotspot are offered with a subscription plan, and more expensive Jetta models will see standard MIB3 infotainment software with wireless phone charging and App-Connect. "Rhombus" cloth seating is the standard material, and you'll find contrast stitching throughout on all trims. You can also choose leatherette or genuine leather upholstery in the Jetta, with a new Volcano Brown on black two-tone option offered only on the leather seats. A leatherette-wrapped steering wheel is standard on higher trim levels, and available on the base S. A heating function is also an option. The 2022 GLI now has red contrast stitching and underlays, paired with genuine leather seats and a leather-wrapped heated steering wheel with touch functions. The GLI's standard heated and cooled seating, automatic climate control, keyless entry, push-button start, and a power driver's seat are all optional on the regular Jetta. Available on all Jetta variants are a sunroof, 10-color ambient lighting, and a BeatsAudio premium sound system.

Finally, VW's IQ.DRIVE driver assistance features are standard from the base model up, and the entire suite includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, an active blind spot monitor, adaptive cruise control with stop and go capability, high beam assist, rear cross traffic alert, pedestrian monitoring, lane keep assist, Travel Assist semi-autonomous driving, and Emergency Assist (semi-autonomous driving in a medical emergency). The standard safety features found on the S are forward collision warning, rear cross traffic alert, and a blind sport monitor. You can opt for the entire IQ.DRIVE package, though. The mid-tier trims and GLI come with most of Volkswagen's IQ.DRIVE features. No pricing information is available yet for the 2022 Jetta, but it will start arriving at US dealers in the fourth quarter of this year.

Images: Volkswagen