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2020 VW Jetta GLI Spied With Less Camo Near Nurburgring, Isn't for Europe

The all-new Jetta GLI is pretty much confirmed for the 2019 Chicago Auto Show. And as that venue gets a little closer, we're not surprised to see some of the camouflage being stripped from the test prototypes.
2020 VW Jetta GLI Spied With Less Camo Near Nurburgring, Isn't for Europe 6 photos
Photo: SB-Medien
2020 VW Jetta GLI Spied With Less Camo Near Nurburgring, Isn't for Europe2020 VW Jetta GLI Spied With Less Camo Near Nurburgring, Isn't for Europe2020 VW Jetta GLI Spied With Less Camo Near Nurburgring, Isn't for Europe2020 VW Jetta GLI Spied With Less Camo Near Nurburgring, Isn't for Europe2020 VW Jetta GLI Spied With Less Camo Near Nurburgring, Isn't for Europe
But we didn't expect th GLI sedan to be spied in Europe. More specifically, test engineers were trying to sneak out of the center they have near the Nurburgring for a quick evening drive. Fortunately for us, the carparazzi were still on hand, and they snapped the most revealing images yet.

Volkswagen's regular cars have been getting less and less sporty over the past couple of years, which is precisely what the market wants in America. But it also means that models like the 2020 Jetta GLI are crucial, especially now that you can't buy the base model with a 1.8 TSI.

The design changes they made are by no means groundbreaking, but it looks pretty good for a VW. The GLI is rocking a deeper chin at the front. Both the upper and lower grilles now integrate a honeycomb pattern, while the fog lights have been mode to appear sportier.

Looking at the side of the vehicle, we need to point out the lower suspension, unique 10-spoke wheels, red brake calipers wrapped around ventilated disks and even some side skirts. Unlike the GTI hatch, this sedan has vertical elements in its diffuser and a 2-1-2 exhaust system (GTI has one muffler). The independent rear suspension is an upgrade over what's on the spongy regular Jetta models.

A 2-liter turbo is going to be under the hood, one that produces around 230 horsepower and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque. Even though VW USA is into autos now, there should still be a DSG option, which is one of the things that differentiate the Jetta GLI from its rivals, especially the Honda Civic Si.

Unfortunately, the hot sedan is pretty much restricted to the North American market. But plenty of people have imported VW's spicy sedan into their European garages. And with this one looking like an Audi S3 Sedan on a budget, the trend is sure to continue.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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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.
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