Like the Volkswagen Golf GTI, but wish it had a
trunk in place of a liftgate at the back? That’d be the Jetta GLI. And the
latest word has it that the new model will debut at the North American
International Auto Show in Detroit come January.
The news comes from Autoblog.com.ar,
which spoke to José Carlos Pavone – head of design for Volkswagen do Brasil –
at the launch of the new Jetta in South America, where it’s known as the Vento.
More to the point, the new Jetta GLI is expected to
borrow its 2.0-liter turbo four directly from the Golf GTI, where it produces
220 horsepower and 349 Nm of torque. That’d bring the
little sports sedan more in line with the hot hatch, instead of trailing behind
it in power and performance as it has in the past.
That’d put it in a better position to take on the
likes of the Honda Civic Si, Hyundai Elantra Sport, and Subaru WRX in the
market for compact performance sedans, and give VW a more compelling offering
for those who like their performance in a three-box shape. And if the report
proves accurate, we can anticipate the new Jetta GLI’s debut in just a few
months from now.
