'New' 2015 Volkswagen Jetta Bows in NYC

Volkswagen’s updated 2015 Jetta just took a bow in Manhattan. But what’s actally new about this car? It looks practically the same as the one that’s on the market right now.

Honestly, it’s hard to tell them apart. As automotive refreshes go this one has got to be about as minor as they get, from a design standpoint at least. The new Jetta features a reworked grille with three cross fins; it’s also dressed with a new bumper. LED daytime running lights add a dash of flair. Around back the trunk-lid and tail lights have been jazzed up as well.

It’s interesting how conservative the Jetta’s redesign is, but it must be hard for Vee-Dub to mess with success. Globally this car is both the Volkswagen brand AND Group’s top-selling nameplate. They sold nearly a million of these little buggers last year and more than 14 million since it bowed back in 1979.

Efficiency has been enhanced across the board thanks to improved aerodynamics and reduced rolling resistance. A number of features help trim drag, things like reworked rain gutters near the A-Pillars, underbody shrouding and optimized air intakes in the front bumper. Additionally certain models benefit from a closeable radiator shutter that improves warm-up times and cuts wind resistance.

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The company’s new 2.0-liter TDI engine delivers compression-ignition torque along with an estimated 45 miles per gallon on the highway when equipped with a manual transmission. Its combined score is projected to be around 37 MPG. As for performance it cranks out 150 hp and a maximum of 236 lb-ft of twist.

Three different gasoline four-cylinder engines are available, a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated unit, a 1.8 turbo and a 2.0-liter TSI. A hybrid is also offered, which features a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-banger. Lastly, there’s the abovementioned squeaky-clean diesel.

Plunkin’ your backside in the Jetta’s driver’s seat is a familiar experience, familiar in that the dashboard looks pretty much like the one in today’s car. Sure, they’ve made a few tweaks here and there – up-level models get new gauges for instance, the air-vent controls have been redesigned, there’s ambient lighting and new fabric choices, among other minor changes. But the big news has to do with technology.

Volkswagen has added an array of advanced driver-assistance features to the humble Jetta. Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and frontal collision warning are available, as are Bi-Xenon headlamps and adaptive front lighting.

The 2015 VW Jetta is expected to arrive at U.S. showrooms in the third quarter of the year.