2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI: Finally, More Power!

Perhaps the best news coming from this 2019 Chicago Auto Show debut is that it's going to be available this spring, so you won't have to wait until the 2020 model year. Not all the info is available at this point, though.

Under the hood, you still have a 2.0-liter turbo inline-four, but it's the latest generation unit, so it gets 228-hp and 258 lb-ft. That's about the same as a JCW MINI or a BMW X1 xDrive28i. Your gearbox choices are a standard six-speed manual and a DSG with an extra cog for a total of seven, so no automatic like regular VWs get now. VW will also throw in its electronically controlled limited-slip differential and variable steering rack.

The GLI is going to be a little bit sportier than the regular Jetta. It takes many styling elements from the Golf GTI, but you kind of expect the honeycomb grille or the red stripe. The updated chassis sits 0.6 of an inch lower than a normal Jetta. More importantly, the GLI gets a unique strut-type setup at the front and a multilink arrangement at the back, which is a noticeable upgrade over standard models. Red calipers grab onto 13.4-inch brakes sit behind the 18-inch alloys, just like on the Golf GTI.

The interior differs from the old Jetta GLI though the shape of the wheel and the driver-oriented dashboard. To set it apart from a normal Jetta, Volkswagen used new graphics for the digital dash, red lighting and leather seats with red stitching on higher-end models.
There's also a 35th Anniversary addition, signaling the Jetta GLI has matured. It will have DCC adaptive dampers as standard, some new black alloy wheels, a contrasting roof, and mirror caps, plus the obvious badging.