Picture a full back seat, a July afternoon and a short on-ramp to US-27. That is where the turbocharged 1.5-liter four in the 2027 Volkswagen Jetta gets put to work, delivering 184 lb-ft of torque from 1,750 to 4,000 rpm and 158 horsepower, while the eight-speed automatic brings Tiptronic gear selection plus a Sport mode.

Every trim carries EPA estimates of 40 mpg highway and 29 city, with 34 combined on the S versus 33 on the others; your mileage will vary. The recommended fuel for the 12.8-gallon tank is regular unleaded. Sport, SE and SEL models ride on a sport suspension set 0.6 inch below the S.

• Turbocharged TSI four, 158 horsepower
• All 184 lb-ft by 1,750 rpm
• Eight gears with Tiptronic shifting
• EPA-estimated 29/40 mpg city/highway
• Peak boost of 26 psi, per Volkswagen
• Engine start-stop system standard

A weekday run to the office starts with the phone still in your pocket. It links to the 2027 Volkswagen Jetta wirelessly through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on a floating 8-inch display, and fast charging comes from twin 45-watt USB-C ports. Every trim now has SiriusXM with 360L and voice control.

Instrument displays differ by trim: an 8-inch Digital Cockpit goes in the S, Sport and SE, while the SEL gets a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro that can display up to four views. Navigation through Discover Media and eight-speaker Volkswagen Premium Audio are SEL features, while the SE is where remote start and wireless charging begin.

• Wireless App-Connect for compatible phones
• 8-inch infotainment screen, all trims
• Pair of 45-watt USB-C ports
• 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro, SEL
• Discover Media navigation, SEL
• Remote start and wireless charging, SE and SEL

Busy weekday traffic brings plenty of merging and braking. In the 2027 Volkswagen Jetta, radar and a forward camera feed standard IQ.DRIVE: Front Assist with Pedestrian Monitoring, Active Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Traffic Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Lane Assist, Travel Assist and Emergency Assist.

Hands stay on the wheel with Travel Assist, which draws on Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Assist to help keep the car centered in its lane. A rearview camera, six airbags and Automatic Post-Collision Braking come on every trim, while Light Assist high-beam control is reserved for the SEL. The driver still does the driving.

• IQ.DRIVE on every Jetta
• Pedestrian Monitoring within Front Assist
• Active Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Traffic Alert
• Stop and Go for Adaptive Cruise Control
• Rearview camera and six airbags
• Automatic high beams in the SEL

Walk toward a 2027 Volkswagen Jetta across a busy parking lot and the coupe-like silhouette reads low, helped by a slim strip running beside the roofline into the rear pillar. LED headlamps are standard, and the LED taillights are linked by a light bar across the trunk lid.

Trims look different from the curb. Black mirror caps and black window trim join a blacked-out grille on the Sport, whose grille light bar also appears on the SEL. The SE and SEL both carry a panoramic sunroof as standard, and the SEL finishes the set with 18-inch alloys.

• LED headlamps and daytime running lights
• Taillights linked by a light bar
• Light bar in Sport and SEL grilles
• Panoramic sunroof from the SE up
• 16- to 18-inch alloys
• 186.5 inches long overall

Saturday errands around town tend to fill a trunk, and this one holds 14.1 cubic feet, with a 60/40 split-folding rear seat for longer loads. The back seat of the 2027 Volkswagen Jetta has 37.4 inches of legroom, and dual-zone Climatronic Touch lets the front occupants set separate temperatures on every trim.

Upholstery tells the trims apart: Rhombus cloth in the S, embossed Molekular cloth with seat heating in the Sport, and perforated two-tone leatherette with a power driver's seat in the SE. SEL buyers get perforated leather, ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats and ambient lighting in 10 colors.

• Passenger volume of 94.7 cubic feet
• Trunk capacity of 14.1 cubic feet
• Rear legroom measures 37.4 inches
• Two-zone Climatronic Touch climate control
• Heated front seats begin with the Sport
• Leather and ventilated seats in the SEL