With no proper ‘R’ or ‘GTI’ version of the Volkswagen Jetta, the GLI stands as the performance spec of the line-up. Dubbed the ‘GTI with a trunk’ back when the first Jetta GLI was released in 1984, the intent is to deliver some of the magic that the GTI Golf offers but in the Jetta package.
With all that said, the Jetta GLI has a 2.0L turbocharged inline 4 engine that has been rated at 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Figures that are slightly lower than the Golf GTI’s 241 hp and 273 lb-ft. Transmission options consist of a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic spanning across two trim levels, the S and Autobahn.
