2019 VW Jetta Gallery

Volkswagen's Jetta has already been a success by any sales metric, with more than 17m of the cars sold – and more than 3.2m of those in the US alone. Now, it's facing its next challenge. With the 2019 Jetta, VW is giving the compact sedan a nudge up the premium charts, and offering a surprisingly compelling alternative to stablemate Audi's A3 sedan in the process.

That starts with building the Jetta on the MQB platform – just like the A3 – and increasing it in size in all dimensions. The exterior gets a four-door-coupe styling update, with a bolder grille and sharper crease lines. Inside, there's more cabin space and more available tech, including the Volkswagen Digital Cockpit, a 400W Beats Audio system, and heated/ventilated leather seats.

Under the hood, a 1.4-liter TSI engine can be had with either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission. There'll be an R-Line version, with sharper styling and an electronic differential. Best of all, the range kicks off at $18,545, undercutting the last model.

MORE: 2019 VW Jetta brings new style, tech and lower price