For numerous reasons, Volkswagen's old core model, the wagon, didn't perform as well in America as it did in Europe. That doesn't really matter right now since everybody wants crossovers. But something still draws us to this rendering of a Jetta GTD wagon, probably the forbidden fruit syndrome.
Besides the wagon, Volkswagen also desperately wanted to sell performance diesel engines to Americans. It brought over the Golf GTD in minty green for local reviewers to check out almost a decade ago. Everybody loved it, but with the power of hindsight, we can say that it would have been a bad idea.
Not only would another TDI series have to be recalled, but the Golf GTD probably wouldn't have sold well. The car might have cost more than the GTI and could prove extremely expensive to repair and maintain over time. Modern TDI engines are nothing as robust as the originals.
So, did Kleber Silva design a wagon around the Jetta? Well, probably for fun. But die-hard VW fans probably remember the Jetta SportWagen. It looked like a Golf 5 and 6 but was marketed as a Jetta even in Europe.
Speaking of Europe, those VW customers will indeed have a mild performance Golf GTD wagon this year. It's going to have something like 197 horsepower and slightly more torque than the new GTI. Frankly, we're not that impressed by the numbers, but the model is more about having low CO2 emissions combined with sporty looks.
Kleber also covered this in a separate rendering, even though he probably didn't have to. Volkswagen should reveal this model in a few months, and it brings zero surprises in the design department. As you can probably tell, the Golf bumpers are quite different from those of the Jetta, as are the grilles of the GTI hatch and GLI sedan.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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