2027 Volkswagen Jetta Interior Review: Newer Isn’t Always Better

As Volkswagen’s lone sedan holdout against basically an all-SUV lineup, we have a special place in our hearts for the Volkswagen Jetta. Small and nimble, the Jetta is a holdover from a VW era that doesn’t really exist anymore. And that’s fine. We’re glad it’s still around, even if it only got a refresh for 2025 and not a major update like the Golf GTI did.

Still, with how much we loved the 2024 Jetta GLI, we were eager to get into the latest Jetta GLI to see what that refreshment brought. While the car still drives delightfully, its interior left us feeling like sometimes newer isn’t always better.

As a quick recap, the GLI Autobahn is the highest-grade Jetta on offer. Over the non-GLI, this sporty grade brings a higher-output engine, adaptive chassis control, and upmarket cabin materials. Unfortunately, 2026 was also the last model year the manual transmission was offered. Its disappearance marked the end of manuals in any VW sold in North America. Pour one out. Changes made for 2027 include the S and Sport getting upgraded infotainment and two extra audio speakers, while all Jettas now have keyless access and push-button start.

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Infotainment

Screens

The Jetta GLI keeps the 8.0-inch central screen from before, yet it’s now free of the previously integrated unit for a “floating” setup. We’re not sure if this was aesthetically the right move, as now it has an inelegant tacked-on look, like the screen was an afterthought. Furthermore, there’s a big, thick bezel around the screen that makes it look smaller than it is.

Screen response is rather sluggish, and the resolution is not particularly good. With the unintuitive layout between apps and button options, the UI also looks and feels dated.

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But the best things about this setup? Physical buttons and dials remain on the sides, and there’s actually a screen “off” button that activates an image of an analog clock on a black background.

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Climate Control

This is perhaps where the refreshed Jetta commits its worst sin. The decision to implement touch sliders was made years ago, and we’re hopefully reaching the end of that rollout, but unfortunately, they plague Jettas from 2025 onward. The change is especially egregious when we remember the 2024 Jetta had regular buttons and dials instead of this nonsense. At least it’s not as distracting to use as a purely touch-based setup found in many other modern cars, even members in the Volkswagen family. But it still requires an extra look or two for you to make sure you’ve properly activated what you need.

Tech

The Jetta neither leads nor trails the competition in terms of onboard tech, so it offers exactly what everyone else does at minimum. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connect easily, though the car had some confusion as the which phone to connect to when two previously connected phones were present in the cabin. Simply removing one phone from the car’s memory remedies the issue, but a couple who share the car won’t want to reconnect a phone every time one of them uses it. There’s space for one phone to charge on the wireless pad in the center console.

IQ.Drive

All grades get VW’s advanced adaptive cruise control system, IQ.Drive, as standard starting for 2026. It follows the flow of traffic well and definitely removes some of the fatigue from long highway stints. We also felt the lane keep assist working, but its presence wasn’t as obvious here as it is in other vehicles, leading us to feel like we had to keep a tighter watch on things.

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Cabin Materials

GLI Jettas get attractive two-tone gray and black leather seating with red contrast stitching. We especially like the look of the stitching, as it matches the other red details in the cabin and on the floormats. The leather itself feels durable but won’t be mistaken for the soft, buttery hides used by luxury automakers.

Pebbled black plastic all over the cabin is a consequence of the Jetta’s affordable price point, but it does have gloss-black trim around the climate controls and the newly textured passenger dash. The swaths of exposed plastic aren’t egregious, but when compared to what Nissan has done with the interior of the new Sentra, VW will need to step up its game when it comes to future Jetta models.

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Seating

Front Seats

Seating throughout the Jetta is comfortable and supportive, even after many hours spent on the road. Following in modern VW tradition, the car offers luxury features at nonluxury prices. Front passengers are treated to heated and ventilated seats, and the driver’s seat has memory functionality, good for the aforementioned car-sharing couple. The fixed cupholders are reasonably sized, and there’s a small, miscellaneous-items slot beside them.

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Rear Seats

The rear bench sees the same leather appointments as the front, though these passengers do not get much in terms of amenities: There are no climate vents or charging ports.

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Trunk

The trunk is of expected size in this class, with adequate width and depth. Anyone shopping in this compact sedan segment will go into the Jetta with their cargo expectations met.

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In Conclusion

Fundamentally, the latest Jetta is basically the same as the pre-refresh version, save for a few nips and tucks here and there. But in this case, newer isn’t always better, as the 2026 traded the simple-to-use physical climate controls for finicky touch-sensitive sliders. If you prefer the physical setup, you probably want to look at certified preowned cars. The current-generation Jetta has also been out for quite a long time, and despite the recent refresh, it does show its age in certain places, particularly the infotainment.

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But if you’re set on a brand-new Jetta, you’re still getting a nice package. As mentioned above, this one drives just as well as the 2024. And if you can swing the GLI to get everything the car has to offer, including higher performance, it’s even better.

Photography by Kristen Lee