Next-gen Volkswagen Jetta to debut in 2018

Believe it or not, the Volkswagen Jetta has been around for nearly forty years. All these years it has built its reputation as a no-nonsense, fuss-free sedan for those who want a practical daily driver. Now, with its seventh generation, Volkswagen seems to be pushing the envelope in the same direction.

Ze Germans have quietly teased the new Jetta on their Canadian website. Mind you, the sedan is quite popular in the North American/Canadian market which makes them the default choice for Volkswagen. The manufacturer has left a handy ticker for us as well. VW's Jetta shows itself to the world on January 17th. That's slap-bang in the middle of the Detroit Auto Show. 

What's the teaser like? Well, Volkswagen thinks the Jetta fits into the Batman universe. It's dark, and the sedan's headlamps are lit up. A few times that the car is actually lit, doesn't give away too much. But, what it does tell us clearly, is that the Jetta is likely to look like a grown-up Virtus. If we stitch that together with a few spy shots we've seen, it does seem like Volkswagen has got the recipe for simplicity right. Yes, it isn't as raunchy as the Elantra, nor as exciting as an Octavia, but sometimes you just need vanilla when everyone else is hogging the chocolate. Yes? 

That aside, it’s fair to assume that the Jetta will be based on the MQB platform. Volkswagen has an arsenal of turbocharged petrol and diesel engines to choose from, but we’re expecting the 1.4 TSI and the 2.0 TDI engines to find their way into the engine bay. Of course, there’s Volkswagen’s magical dual-clutch gearbox for transmission duties. 

We aren’t expecting the Jetta to bring something revolutionary to the game. It should be decked up with the usual luxury car goodies including LED headlamps, an LCD screen instead of the instrument cluster, and a large central touchscreen (with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, of course!) paired with a fancy music system.

If (and when) it comes to India remains a question mark. There's news of Volkswagen India pulling the plug on the current Jetta; with dealerships having exhausted all inventory. There were rumours of the German brand discontinuing the Jetta marque altogether in India, choosing to focus on SUVs instead. While that does sound like a sensible idea, we'd like to see if VW change their mind after the Jetta makes its global debut.

Source: ZigWheels.com