Middleburg, VA – The Volkswagen Jetta is the German-brand's bread and butter. It's the best-selling Volkswagen vehicle in Canada, so for 2015, they felt that things were going well from an appearance side, so they focused their attention on everything else to make it an overall better product.

The 2015 Jetta might not appear to have many exterior changes except for a change to its front and rear fascia and the introduction of optional Bi-Xenon headlights with LED signature daytime running lights. But that shouldn't deter you from testing it out further, as they've made adjustments to it including a new and improved engine, additional safety features and an improvement in fuel economy. 

It's not the changes that will get your attention, so you will need to have to test drive it to see the results. I was given the opportunity to test out the new lineup that includes a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder TDI engine and the 1.8-litre four-cylinder TSI around the country roads of Virginia.

The 2.0-litre was the main attraction due to them restructuring it for better production and fuel economy. It produces a modest improvement of 10 hp, bumping its total to 150 with 236 lb.-ft. of torque. Part of the improvement has been a high-pressure injection system that shoots out not only from the tip, but the sides for even distribution. This all factors in to receive a 6.5L/100 km combined rating for the six-speed automatic transmission using the new five-cycle fuel economy rating.

The 1.8-litre TSI is a carryover from last year and it still remains a peppy choice if you're looking for a boost of power beyond the base 2.0L engine. Thanks to direct injection and a turbocharging engine, the 1.8 produces 170 hp and 184 lb.-ft. of torque. As for fuel economy numbers, it's rated at 9.3L/100 km in the city and 6.3L/100 km on the highway. Furthermore, you can always choose the hybrid version or the more spirited GLI, but those options weren't available on this drive program.

As for the drive, the TDI naturally had a lot more power under early acceleration thanks to the large amount of torque, which is commonplace for a diesel. The Jetta isn't at the top of its segment in power, but it has more than enough to get around. Throughout the drive, I never felt that additional power was needed, but I should note that the Jetta couldn't really be pushed due to a heavy allotment of police cars ready to take down some license plate numbers.

On the other hand, the TSI found a sweet spot after you hit the 40 km/h mark. It seemed to have some more spunk to get around some windy roads and it picked up speed with ease. The steering felt lighter in the TSI, which isn't always a greater thing, but that depends on your personal preference. I always prefer a tighter feel for a more controlled connection between the car and the road.

Nonetheless, both Jettas handled the roads with ease. There's just something to be said about the comfort you get when driving this four-door sedan. The 2015 Jetta is accurate in its cornering without much body roll. The other key attribute is that the new Jetta creates a quiet ride, eliminating most of the road noise you would expect to hear from a compact sedan.

An other aspect that you would expect from a Jetta are comfortable seats and a great driving position. The combination of a comfortable seat and a relaxing ride hold true for the 2015 model. Place yourself in those seats and it just feels like home. My feeling might just be from my prior owning of two Jettas, but it just feels right.

With the top-of-the-line Highline trim, you're treated to two-tone, piano-black seats that elevates the look of the interior. In addition, there's a new thinly strapped leather steering wheel that provides you a great grip and feel as you drive. However, those seem to be some of the few touches of luxury that awaits you in the Jetta. Volkswagen has seemed to forget that they need to spruce up the interior to match-up with their competitors. Honda and Mazda have made valiant efforts to boost their interiors in their Civics and 3s, but the Jetta seems to lack that refinement. It comes off boring and uninspiring with an infotainment system that's too small, yet conveniently organized.

In the end, the 2015 Jetta has its strengths and weaknesses. The weaknesses all seem to be in the looks department, which could be detrimental in this superficial age, but when it comes down to the nuts and bots – the Jetta has improved in the driving department. And one thing you can count on is the spaciousness that you find in the rear and the trunk.

The positives do outweigh the negatives, as the 2015 Jetta receives added safety features mostly in the Highline trim that has never been found outside of the GLI version. You can now opt for Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Forward Collision Warning. The best part about all of this, is that you can get this all starting at $14,990 for the base 2.0-litre. The 1.8 TSI starts at $20,690 and the 2.0 TDI starts at $23,890. Even with all of these options, such as the aforementioned safety technologies, you can pick-up any Jetta, minus the hybrid and GLI for still under $30K.

As of the end of August, the 2015 Jetta is now on sale at your local dealerships.