VW Brings Jetta GLI Performance Concept to SEMA

Chris Teague
by Chris Teague

The Volkswagen Jetta GLI has long been the middle ground in performance for people who wanted a Golf GTI but needed sedan legroom. At this year’s SEMA Show, however, VW is giving the car its due with a motorsport-inspired concept car. Given its stated goal of going electric, it's unlikely we'll ever see this car in production, but it would be a great day for enthusiasts if it did.


Though it’s based on a 2022 Jetta, the GLI Performance Concept is brawnier than the standard car in almost every way. It got a RacingLine turbo performance package, a carbon fiber cold air intake, and a beefed-up intercooler. Those upgrades push the turbocharged 2.0-liter EA88 engine’s output to 350 horsepower and 372 pound-feet of torque. The factory six-speed manual and front-wheel drive setup remain in place, but VW fitted a performance clutch to handle the extra power. 

Stopping and turning are just as important as power and acceleration, and Volkswagen says the concept’s suspension is capable of delivering a thrilling track experience while maintaining a comfortable ride on the street. The car got a RacingLine Stage3+ six-piston forged caliper big brake kit that brings 15-inch carbon ceramic discs. Adjustable coilovers help keep the concept stable on the track, and Rotiform provided a set of custom 20-inch wheels for the project. 

[Images: Volkswagen]

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Chris Teague
Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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  • Doug Dye Doug Dye on Nov 02, 2022

    I wish VW would return to their days of lower cost German performance. I have owned many Sciroccos, Corrodes, GTis, and GLis in the past. I switched to BMW's when the company focused more on SUVs. Love BMW's, but they cost much more to maintain!

    • FreedMike FreedMike on Nov 02, 2022

      By contemporary standards, VW performance cars are actually quite affordable - the O.G. GTI from the '80s would go for 26 grand today, and it offered a fraction of the current model's performance.




  • Joe Joe on Nov 02, 2022

    Seriously what’s the point? Not gonna build it. Not particularly appealing. Former superstar nameplate, that’s meh and low demand now.

  • 1995 SC At least you can still get one. There isn't much for Ford folks to be happy about nowadays, but the existence of the Mustang and the fact that the lessons from back in the 90s when Ford tried to kill it and replace it with the then flavor of the day seem to have been learned (the only lessons they seem to remember) are a win not only for Ford folks but for car people in general. One day my Super Coupe will pop its headgaskets (I know it will...I read it on the Internet). I hope I will still be physically up to dropping the supercharged Terminator Cobra motor into it. in all seriousness, The Mustang is a.win for car guys.
  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
  • Lorenzo Well, it was never an off-roader, much less a military vehicle, so let the people with too much money play make believe.
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