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VW Already Has The Perfect New Jetta

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No, this isn’t a new 2028 VW Jetta. However, it is a new VW sedan called the ID.ERA. And of course, it is strictly for the Chinese market. At least so far.

I personally think it would be the perfect replacement for our aging VW Jetta. The current generation came out in 2018. Sure, it received a new face in 2022, but it is still pretty old. Sales are also going down, with just over 54,000 units sold last year in the U.S., or almost half the 2019 number, which was the current generation’s first full year.

As we know, sedans are not as popular as they used to be. And yet, a few models like the Camry and Accord seem to be getting more popular again. I guess many people are realizing these midsize cars are cheaper than SUVs, get better gas mileage, and are often more pleasant to drive.

This new Chinese-market sedan looks like it would be a perfect next-generation Jetta for the North American market. A new 2028 VW Jetta with a brand-new design that, in true VW fashion, doesn’t look too new. It is about 4 inches longer than the current version, which is fine and would make it even roomier. The best news is the PHEV powertrain, which includes a 1.5-liter engine and an electric motor.

That powertrain is expected to deliver about 100 miles of pure EV range on the Chinese test cycle, which is pretty amazing. And much more than anything we currently have over here. Something like this would really make a new Jetta stand out. The combined range is still well over 1,000 miles.

With sedans getting more popular again and gas prices still high, something like this seems like a no-brainer. Except that we are talking about VW. A brand that has made mistake after mistake in the U.S. The latest one being the overpriced $70,000 ID.Buzz. Years of doing the wrong thing over and over again.

The ID.ERA makes perfect sense as the next-generation VW Jetta. And that is exactly why it probably will not happen…

Conversation 2 comments

  1. The current Jetta was intro’d in 2018 … and looked old THEN. I don’t understand why VW can’t simply take this design and make it with a ICE format. Or a hybrid. Or even bring it to the US as an electric. Instead they keep stamping out the same tired looking cr@p and wondering why they can’t gain traction in the US/Canada.

  2. It has more modern proportions than the US market Jetta, but that’s about all that can be said for the exterior design. The exterior follows the typical Chinese market generic electrified sedan playbook; lightbar across the front (check!), lightbar across the rear (check!), generic three window side silhouette (check!), characterless flush door handles (check!), etc. Yes, it is more modern looking than our tired, over recycled Jetta, but it is hardly a standout or a design revelation. I guess it would be a definite move in design strategy for VW in the US market, though, given the brand’s snail like tendencies for change over here.

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