VW Jetta gets a more efficient new engine for 2022

Though the electrics are coming, it seems like the engineers aren’t quite done squeezing every bit of fuel efficiency possible out of the gasoline combustion engine, and the incoming 2022 Volkswagen Jetta shows us an example of the trend. It’s been over forty years since the Volkswagen Jetta launched in Canada, and for model-year 2022, the latest version of the popular model is getting a few updates that’ll help drive further value for shoppers.

The 2022 model year brings the Jetta a new set of front and rear fascias, new colours and new wheels, though the most important upgrade might just be the new and improved (and enlarged) EA211 turbo engine that’s arriving under its hood. This engine appeared recently in the new Taos compact crossover, and it’s headed for the Jetta next.

Compared to the 1.4 litre powerplant it replaces, the 2022 Jetta’s updated engine grows in displacement to 1.5 litres, with power output climbing slightly. Horsepower is up from 147 to 158, while torque remains steady at a strong 184 lb-ft. Remember: torque is the all-important figure for getting a car up and moving — and today’s compact turbocharged four-cylinders deliver plenty of torque relative to their size,  serving it up from very low engine speeds to the benefit of smoothness, throttle response, fuel efficiency, and refinement.

But the power figures only tell part of the story.

Within the Jetta’s new EA211 engine, a modified version of the Miller Cycle combines with an increased compression ratio to further reduce fuel consumption and improve efficiency. The modified Miller Cycle references an advanced engine breathing strategy created by the engineers. With an uncharacteristically high degree of control over its internal breathing system, the EA211 can close its intake valves early in some situations, to help improve fuel economy.

Further, the increased compression ratio of 11.5 to one (versus 10.0 to one) inherently helps the engine extract the maximum energy possible from every molecule of fuel it burns. These are two modifications that act on the very heart and lungs of the powerplant to squeeze out ever-greater efficiency.

Helping the cause is a new fuel delivery system, with an additional 150 bars of injection pressure, for 350 in total. Higher injection pressure helps reduce temperatures within the cylinders as fuel expands rapidly, and also ensures every squirt of fuel is thoroughly mixed around the cylinders for the most efficient burn.

Other tweaks for the Jetta’s new engine include special iron powder plasma-coated cylinders, which reduce a major source of energy-sucking internal friction. Moreover, a special cooling strategy actively controls coolant flow to various parts of the engine. This allows the engine to heat up, and therefore achieve maximum fuel efficiency, more quickly.

Finally, a Variable Turbine Geometry or VTG turbocharger provides smoother, more efficient, and even higher boost pressure. This is a fairly exotic technology from high-end diesel and performance gasoline engines, and it allows the turbocharger to perform better across a wider range of conditions. From the driver’s seat, expect a smoother and more easily-accessible power curve, with improved throttle response at all engine speeds.

To put all of that simply, 2022 Jetta test-drivers can expect to find more power, more direct throttle response, an engine that’s smoother and quieter more of the time, and even better fuel efficiency.

Similar updates (with similar goals) have been applied to the latest version of the EA888 engine series found in the high-performing Volkswagen GTI and Golf R for 2022 as well.