Throughout its history, the Volkswagen Jetta has been basically the sedan version of VW’s Golf. Not so anymore. While they still share some parts underneath, they’ve largely diverged. At the behest of the American market, the latest Jetta is larger and less expensive than before, which leaves the Golf to fill orders for an extra-German alternative. And so it is with those cars’ respective performance variants, the GLI and GTI, although they'll continue to share perhaps their most important component: a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque.
There’s nothing too surprising about this new GLI. In fact, we already had a go in the European equivalent, the 2.0 TSI, during the Jetta launch last summer. We came away from the experience reassured that the GLI will remain the sportiest of the bunch, and it will be the nicest U.S.-spec Jetta, too. We’ve mentioned a few times before that the regular Jetta was decontented a bit for American consumption, including a switch from the Euro car’s soft-touch dashboard to one rendered in a harder plastic and the axing of the multilink rear suspension in favor of a torsion-beam setup. Fortunately, those switcheroos get switched right back for the GLI. In addition, the sporty Jetta now inherits from the GTI the XDS electronic “differential,” which uses brake force to quell inside-front wheelspin during cornering.
The Jetta lineup as a whole is a bit lighter than before by about 100 pounds for comparable models, a slimming which could help the GLI’s performance numbers. Our best 0-to-60-mph time with the previous car was 6.4 seconds with a manual transmission. The GLI will again be offered with either a six-speed stick or six-speed dual-clutch DSG automatic with steering-wheel-mounted paddles. VW estimates fuel-economy ratings of 31 mpg highway with the manual and 32 highway with the DSG.
Forever Plaid?
Beyond the extra power and more sophisticated chassis, the GLI’s look also sets it apart from its more pedestrian brethren. Chrome-framed honeycomb grilles sit above and below the bumper, dominating the front view. The front fascia is unique, which allows for the larger lower aperture, and it houses fog lights behind vertical lenses that have been yanked from the GTI. In contrast to the previous GLI’s blacked-out look, extra chrome has been added to this model, and the red lettering and grille details have been dispatched. Red stitching and shiny accents spruce up the interior, but, sadly, the iconic plaid seats are gone. The visual changes don’t add up to much excitement, failing nearly completely in dressing up the new Jetta’s staid design.
VW will offer three trim levels for the car when it goes on sale in May. The base GLI comes in at $24,265 and includes cloth seats and 17-inch alloys. The GLI Autobahn, at $26,315, upgrades to 18-inch wheels and leatherette, and adds dual-zone climate control and VW’s Fender-branded audio system.The GLI Autobahn with Navigation trim adds—guess what?—nav to the standard touch-screen infotainment system, plus keyless entry and ignition, and rings in at $27,215. The DSG transmission adds $1100 to the bottom line of any model. The GLI thus sits at the top of the Jetta range, with its base price running $500 more than the entry-level, manual-equipped TDI diesel.
We haven’t particularly warmed up to the newest Jetta, but perhaps this new model and its sweet 2.0-liter turbo four will change that; we certainly look forward to getting behind the wheel. So the good news is that you’ll soon be able to buy a sportier, essentially Euro-spec Jetta in America. The bad news is that it looks boring and there’s no plaid to be found.
There’s nothing too surprising about this new GLI. In fact, we already had a go in the European equivalent, the 2.0 TSI, during the Jetta launch last summer. We came away from the experience reassured that the GLI will remain the sportiest of the bunch, and it will be the nicest U.S.-spec Jetta, too. We’ve mentioned a few times before that the regular Jetta was decontented a bit for American consumption, including a switch from the Euro car’s soft-touch dashboard to one rendered in a harder plastic and the axing of the multilink rear suspension in favor of a torsion-beam setup. Fortunately, those switcheroos get switched right back for the GLI. In addition, the sporty Jetta now inherits from the GTI the XDS electronic “differential,” which uses brake force to quell inside-front wheelspin during cornering.
The Jetta lineup as a whole is a bit lighter than before by about 100 pounds for comparable models, a slimming which could help the GLI’s performance numbers. Our best 0-to-60-mph time with the previous car was 6.4 seconds with a manual transmission. The GLI will again be offered with either a six-speed stick or six-speed dual-clutch DSG automatic with steering-wheel-mounted paddles. VW estimates fuel-economy ratings of 31 mpg highway with the manual and 32 highway with the DSG.
Beyond the extra power and more sophisticated chassis, the GLI’s look also sets it apart from its more pedestrian brethren. Chrome-framed honeycomb grilles sit above and below the bumper, dominating the front view. The front fascia is unique, which allows for the larger lower aperture, and it houses fog lights behind vertical lenses that have been yanked from the GTI. In contrast to the previous GLI’s blacked-out look, extra chrome has been added to this model, and the red lettering and grille details have been dispatched. Red stitching and shiny accents spruce up the interior, but, sadly, the iconic plaid seats are gone. The visual changes don’t add up to much excitement, failing nearly completely in dressing up the new Jetta’s staid design.
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We haven’t particularly warmed up to the newest Jetta, but perhaps this new model and its sweet 2.0-liter turbo four will change that; we certainly look forward to getting behind the wheel. So the good news is that you’ll soon be able to buy a sportier, essentially Euro-spec Jetta in America. The bad news is that it looks boring and there’s no plaid to be found.
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