Following the debut of two Volkswagen concept vehicles yesterday, the Wolfsburg-based automaker has another show car making its first appearance at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas. The Jetta GLI Performance comes as a sporty, motorsport-inspired version of the sedan that pays homage to the history of the Jetta touring car. It comes with many visual and hardware improvements, turning it into a much more powerful engine than the stock Jetta GLI.
Starting with the exterior, the concept based on the 2022 Jetta GLI Autobahn now has front and rear fenders that are 0.8 inches wider, giving this small sedan a more muscular look. This is matched by larger side skirts and larger air intakes in the modified front bumper. The body is finished in matte black with a custom hexagonal themed vinyl wrap. Completing the design changes are a set of 20-inch monoblock rotiform wheels with custom covers.
What goes on under the hood is definitely more interesting. There, the stock 2.0-liter engine receives a new performance package from RacingLine, which includes a carbon fiber cooled air intake, a new intercooler, an oil management kit with a new oil cooler, and other hardware upgrades. The result is a peak output of 350 horsepower (261 kilowatts) and 372 pound-feet (504 Newton-meters) of torque, up from the factory’s 228 hp (170 kW) and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque.
Power reaches the front wheels via the vehicle’s built-in six-speed manual gearbox mated to an improved performance clutch package. Acceleration figures are not available at this time, but we estimate the 0-62 miles per hour (0-100 kilometers per hour) time to be around the five-second mark.
Stopping power for the Jetta GLI concept is provided by a new six-piston forged caliper brake kit with carbon-ceramic discs. An upgraded coilover suspension kit with lower springs and a fully adjustable top mount provides what Volkswagen describes as “the same track-worthy suspension as at home on the road.”
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Will it go into production? Not in this form. However, Rotiform will graph the concept wheel available for download here so you can actually incorporate it into your Jetta GLI.
