Straight to jail without passing go
Like the GTI, the Jetta GLI is a special number. It has always been the ultimate iteration of the Jetta. First introduced in 1984, the GLI or rare GTX (Canada only 90-92) started out as a trim package but quickly grew into a high-performance group with a stronger engine, bigger wheels and brakes, better seats and a number of other enhancements.
GLI and hp
Without going through the history of the Jetta GLI, the evolution of one item that made this car special is worth looking into: the engine. Back in 1984, the GLI sported a 90 hp 1.8L 4-cylinder. The arrival of the mark II in 1985 saw the hp number climb to 100 hp. By 1987, the addition of a second overhead camshaft upped power to 123 hp. Along with a facelift in 1990 and a bump in displacement to 2.0L, power climbed to 134 hp. Keep in mind here that the car has never weighed over 1,000 kg.
The third generation of the Jetta (1993-1999) never got a GLI version. Instead, it was dubbed GLX and featured a 172 hp 2.8L V6. Only in 2002 did the GLI return with a 200 hp 24-valve 2.8L V6. The following year, it inherited VW's famous 1.8L 4-cylinder turbo engine. Never was a GLI available with anything other than a 5-speed manual transmission except from 2002 on when it got an extra gear.
21st Century GLI
For 2007, things have changed and not changed. They say: "The more things change, the more they stay the same". In the case of the new GLI, it still carries the most potent engine available in a Jetta, the venerable 200 hp 2.0L turbo. What is different is that it can be ordered with a transmission that has an automatic mode.
This gearbox is Volkswagen's DSG or Direct Shift Gearbox. It is basically an automated twin-clutch manual transmission with an automatic mode. If the driver wants to be involved in the drive, all that has to be done is move the shift lever to the right and use the steering wheel-mounted paddles. In traffic, simply keep the transmission in automatic.
Delicious powertrain
Volkswagen's 2.0T sees service in no fewer than five different engine bays. Pound for pound, Volkswagen's turbocharged 2.0L FSI engine has proven to be one of the finest 4-cylinder powerplants on the Globe. Not only is it refined, powerful and generally smooth, it is actually economical. My week behind the wheel of the GLI returned an average 10.5L of premium fuel per 100 km. This number can easily dip well below the 10L mark under "normal" driving conditions.
Like the GTI, the Jetta GLI is a special number. It has always been the ultimate iteration of the Jetta. First introduced in 1984, the GLI or rare GTX (Canada only 90-92) started out as a trim package but quickly grew into a high-performance group with a stronger engine, bigger wheels and brakes, better seats and a number of other enhancements.
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| The new GLI has performance written all over it. |
GLI and hp
Without going through the history of the Jetta GLI, the evolution of one item that made this car special is worth looking into: the engine. Back in 1984, the GLI sported a 90 hp 1.8L 4-cylinder. The arrival of the mark II in 1985 saw the hp number climb to 100 hp. By 1987, the addition of a second overhead camshaft upped power to 123 hp. Along with a facelift in 1990 and a bump in displacement to 2.0L, power climbed to 134 hp. Keep in mind here that the car has never weighed over 1,000 kg.
The third generation of the Jetta (1993-1999) never got a GLI version. Instead, it was dubbed GLX and featured a 172 hp 2.8L V6. Only in 2002 did the GLI return with a 200 hp 24-valve 2.8L V6. The following year, it inherited VW's famous 1.8L 4-cylinder turbo engine. Never was a GLI available with anything other than a 5-speed manual transmission except from 2002 on when it got an extra gear.
21st Century GLI
For 2007, things have changed and not changed. They say: "The more things change, the more they stay the same". In the case of the new GLI, it still carries the most potent engine available in a Jetta, the venerable 200 hp 2.0L turbo. What is different is that it can be ordered with a transmission that has an automatic mode.
This gearbox is Volkswagen's DSG or Direct Shift Gearbox. It is basically an automated twin-clutch manual transmission with an automatic mode. If the driver wants to be involved in the drive, all that has to be done is move the shift lever to the right and use the steering wheel-mounted paddles. In traffic, simply keep the transmission in automatic.
Delicious powertrain
Volkswagen's 2.0T sees service in no fewer than five different engine bays. Pound for pound, Volkswagen's turbocharged 2.0L FSI engine has proven to be one of the finest 4-cylinder powerplants on the Globe. Not only is it refined, powerful and generally smooth, it is actually economical. My week behind the wheel of the GLI returned an average 10.5L of premium fuel per 100 km. This number can easily dip well below the 10L mark under "normal" driving conditions.
 |
| Volkswagen has already extracted 260 hp out of the 2.0T engine. Much potential! |