2022 Volkswagen Jetta Reviews, Pricing & Specs

For 2022, the Volkswagen Jetta gets a mild makeover that includes an engine update, exterior styling tweaks, improved infotainment, and more features. Three trims are offered in Canada: Trendline, Comfortline, and Highline. For this review, we’ll be focusing on the Jetta Highline. The more powerful Volkswagen Jetta GLI, which VW considers a sub-model, is covered separately.

On the outside, the Jetta’s design changes require a few blinks and some rubbing of the eyes to notice. And once you do notice them, you can still unsee them. The exterior updates are that subtle. It’s like standing at baggage claim, trying to differentiate one black suitcase from the other black suitcases. Because isn’t that the Jetta’s overarching design? As bland yet purposeful as a suitcase?

The front fascia, bumper, and grille have been redone. Mostly with more chrome. The grille, for example, now features a chrome frame as well as two horizontal chrome pieces that line up with the standard LED headlights and daytime running before visually directing you toward the centred VW logo. The black grille inserts also have been redesigned as have the lower fascia and foglights. In the rear, the taillight housing remains the same but the LED lighting is now standard. The rear bumper is less squatty and more square. Like the grille, the rear bumper has a full-length chrome feature that extends from deflector to deflector.

More standard chrome appears on the window trim. New wheel designs are offered for each trim level and new metallic colours are added to the seven-shade paint palette. The new-for-2022 hues are Kings Red, Oryx White, and Rising Blue.

As hard-pressed as you’d be to call out the year-over-year exterior revisions, the 2022 Jetta does seem to have a more aggressive profile. This is in large part because the lower front fascia resembles an angry Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle’s smirk and looks like a half-growl from the side. And the 17-inch alloy wheel design on our test vehicle has some Japanese throwing-star vibes to match.

The Jetta interior receives equally subtle but appealing updates. The cloth seats found on the Trendline trim feature a unique new rhombus pattern. And all interiors, regardless of upholstery type, have an added premium look thanks to contrast stitching. If opting for Highline, you have a new two-tone option leather interior option in Volcano Brown and black. A heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel is standard in Canada.

Lastly, an 8-inch Digital Cockpit instrument cluster is now standard across the lineup to go along with the already standard 6.5-inch touchscreen display. Though top-of-the-line Jetta Highline receives the 10-inch Digital Cockpit Pro and an 8-inch touchscreen-navigation system, the base model doesn’t mean a view from the cheap seats either.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta is offered with a single engine: a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. This is the same powerplant introduced in the Volkswagen Taos SUV. In the Jetta, it replaces the previous model year’s 1.4-litre turbo-four. Torque remains the same at 184 lb-ft but horsepower does increase by 11 notches to 158 hp. Also carrying over are transmission choices: a standard 6-speed manual or an optional 8-speed automatic. The Jetta is offered exclusively with front-wheel drive (FWD). On Highline, the automatic is standard.

With a little more horsepower, the 2022 Jetta does feel a little bit quicker. Its 158 ponies are plenty for a city commuter car. But most impressive was its fuel economy. Natural Resources Canada estimates the stick-shift Jetta at 8.0 litres per 100 kilometres city, 5.5 highway, and 6.9 combined. Automatic transmissions are rated at 7.7 L/100 km city, 5.7 highway, and 6.8 combined.

On a nearly 1,300-kilometre tour, the Jetta averaged 5.0 L/100 km on the highway. No hypermiling was necessary. After a gas-and-grub stop we continued another nearly 500 km to our final destination—and the distance-to-empty reading listed 500 km, meaning we needing only two fill-ups for the roughly 1,600-kilometre trip.

During the road trip, the Jetta offered a comfortable cockpit for cruising. The cabin isn’t the quietest but is competitive for the segment. You’re not going to need to turn up the audio in order to drown out road noise. It’s there but not obtrusive. The seats were well-cushioned and supportive for hours behind the wheel. The vehicle did feel minuscule being surrounded by truck-heavy, SUV-laden traffic, but visibility wasn’t an issue. So what if a semi filled up the outside mirror’s view?

For all of its ride quality high points, the Jetta’s powertrain is its downfall. The throttle is touchy, which isn’t unknown for VW, but the turbocharged engine offered a bit of lag and a bit of surge. And its dynamics were tepid at best.

The Jetta offers Eco, Normal, Sport, and Custom drive modes. Normal felt numb, while Eco felt numb-er. The steering is accurate but the feedback was detached. Sport mode did offer a flicker of life—but barely. Overall acceleration was actually quite good but in stop-and-go traffic, you’re either lunging too quickly or braking too harshly. Any sub-40 km/h drive will be nothing but incessant annoyance. On the highway, there was little issue with the power delivery, and the eight-speed automatic didn’t sputter through the gearing. You’ll certainly get where you’re going, but not without feeling jumpy.

In spite of its compact proportions, the Volkswagen Jetta is not cramped. Passenger space is plentiful for four adults but can accommodate five if you’re feeling chummy. While the seats are comfortable, the edge of the front seats’ bottom cushion does incline ever so slightly. This is likely for thigh support but those with shorter legs might not appreciate the elevated lip.

Otherwise, ergonomics are not an issue. The cabin is driver-centric and there are still buttons for all the things you want quick access for, such as climate control, audio, and controls for the heated and ventilated seats. Buttons for the engine start/stop system, drive modes, and the electronic parking brake are located next to the shifter. No need to search for an incongruous location on the centre console or dashboard. Driving-related controls are exactly where you’d look.

There is usable space for stowing things up front, including pockets in the doors, a centre console bin, a slot next to the cupholders, and even a sunglass holder. The centre storage bin isn’t large but it’s still usable to keep things out of sight. Oddly, the compartment cover doesn't have a latch. Not that it flinging open will be a common occurrence. We simply found the lack of a “click” sound out of the ordinary.

As mentioned earlier, the refreshed Jetta receives an upgrade in the technology department. All 2022 Volkswagen Jetta models are equipped with the Digital Cockpit digital instrument cluster. Comfortline and Highline models get an 8-inch infotainment system with two views and different widgets that show vehicle information. The Jetta Highline gets a fancier Digital Cockpit Pro version (optional on Comfortline), with a 10.25-inch display, three views, and even more widgets for things like navigation (if equipped), phone history, and the status of driver-assist systems.

Our favourite customization was having a full-screen view of the navigation within the instrument cluster and trip data relegated to the centre display. We could adjust the map view by using the steering wheel-mounted controls to zoom in and out versus reaching over to the touchscreen to use the pinch-expand method. This was both easier and safer, as we were able to keep our hands on the wheel and our eyes focused ahead.

Standard infotainment in Jetta Trendline is a 6.5-inch Volkswagen MIB2 system. The touchscreen uses a capacitive-touch sensor and operates like a smartphone or tablet, enabling swiping and pinch-zooming capabilities. App-Connect allows for Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and MirrorLink integration. Also standard is Bluetooth, two USB-C ports, and an SD card multimedia interface. An additional charge-only port is added to Comfortline models and above. Our test vehicle also was equipped with premium Beats Audio sound and a remote start system.

Forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian recognition is standard equipment in Canada, while blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are offered from the Comfortline trim along with adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane-keep assist, Travel Assist, and Emergency Assist.

Travel Assist combines adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist when traveling at speeds faster than 30 km/h and on clearly marked roads. Not a hands-free driving system, Travel Assist will issue driver warnings before deactivating should your hands stray off the steering wheel. We also found the system needed extra guidance on sweeping highway curves as the vehicle would veer slightly.

Emergency Assist is a driver attentiveness feature that works only when lane-keep assist or Travel Assist are activated. Like Travel Assist, a series of visual and audio notifications will pop up to get your attention. If you are unresponsive, the vehicle will come to a stop and activate the hazard lights to indicate an emergency to other drivers.

You can customize the sensitivity levels of the driver aids, but only via the touchscreen menu. The Digital Cockpit display allows for activation and deactivation of these features, but no further customization.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta falls short of a Top Safety Pick crash safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) due to an Acceptable score in the updated side crash test. Headlights are also rated Marginal to Poor depending on the trim. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the 2022 Jetta a five-star overall safety rating.

The 2022 VW Jetta has a starting MSRP of $22,895 for the Trendline with a manual transmission and $24,295 for the automatic (all prices are before a mandatory $1,750 destination charge). The Comfortline trim also can be optioned with either transmission while Highline is automatic only and is priced in Canada at $29,895.

The Jetta GLI has the amenities of the Highline plus a few genuine sporty mannerisms like an XDS electronic locking differential and DCC adaptive damping system. But it tops out at well over $30,000.

Within the compact car segment itself, the Jetta loses its German-engineered luster. New car competitors like the Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, and Mazda 3 showcase German-tuned dynamics but with Italian-inspired new vehicle design. The Honda Civic, meanwhile, got a redesign for 2022. In a competitive albeit dwindling car market, the Jetta simply falls behind looking like an uninspired old suitcase—even with the updated bits.

Note: Images show a US model.