A top-of-the-line SEL Plus trim will bring to the five-cylinder Jetta SEL many of the same refinement upgrades made to the GLI, including the use of softer-touch materials for the interior. The hard plastic and cheap feel of the interiors of standard Jetta models has been a sore point since the car launched in 2010. Like the GLI, the SEL Plus would be much closer to the more premium European versions of the Jetta. (A detailed rundown of the differences between the American and European Jettas is available here.) We expect that the SEL Plus will retain its less-expensive torsion-beam rear setup, though.
A 1.8-liter Turbo Four for All
Coming later—late 2013 for the 2014 model year seems like a good bet—Volkswagen will finally begin to ditch the naturally aspirated five-cylinder engine it uses in the Jetta, Passat, and Beetle. According to one of our sources in Europe, though, the plan right now is to use a 1.8-liter turbo four in all three of the cars—not a turbo 1.4 in some, as we previously expected. In European installations, the 1.8T makes 158 hp and 185 lb-ft of torque. Barring major changes, those numbers would keep the Jetta near the top of its class in power and at the top in torque.
As recently as last January, a Volkswagen exec expressed interest in using a 1.4-liter turbo for the Jetta and Beetle, saving the force-fed 1.8 for the Passat. But with Volkswagen intent on growing volume in the U.S. market to somewhere near mainstream levels, it will be more efficient and more cost-effective to minimize the number of engines it offers. The 1.4T and 1.8T come from two different engine families—EA211 and EA888, respectively—and it’s worth mentioning that the turbo 1.4 still will be used in the Jetta hybrid, arriving in U.S. showrooms later in 2012.
