When the second-generation Volkswagen Jetta came to America in 1984, VW brought a sportier trim with a stiffer suspension and a short-shifting manual transmission. It was called the Jetta GLI.
Soon, the 2024 Jetta will arrive. Volkswagen will use the opportunity to celebrate the “GTI with a trunk.” A 40th-anniversary edition GLI will appear for 2024. Fittingly, Volkswagen will build just 1,984 copies for the U.S.
VW won’t make any mechanical upgrades – this is a visual package. That means it gets the same 2-0-liter 4-cylinder making 228 horsepower. Buyers can choose a 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT).
The 2024 Volkswagen Jetta GLI 40th Anniversary Edition starts at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $28,085 with the manual transmission and $28,885 for the 7-speed DCT model. Volkswagen also charges $1,150 for delivery – among the lower delivery charges in the industry.
The Usual GLI Performance Upgrades
Like other GLI models, VW says, it gets “larger brakes, a Sport HMI performance monitor, VAQ electronically-controlled torque-sensing limited-slip differential and XDS electronic differential lock, the DCC adaptive damping system, and a sport exhaust.”
Darker Trim, Unique Upholstery
Buyers can choose from three colors – Pure Gay, Pure White, and apparently unpure Rising Blue. Brightwork trim details on the ordinary Jetta are blackened on this model, but the red brake calipers, grille accent line, and air intakes of other GLI models are retained. The door handles, mirror caps, and wheels are glossy black, too.
Inside, limited-edition-specific “embossed molecular cloth seats” are…made from molecules this time, maybe? A geometric pattern resembling slate fracturing or a drunken spider’s web spreads over the seats. No two are alike, VW says. The cupholders hide logos – GLI in one, 1984 in the other. Other unique badges include 40th-anniversary markings on the doorsills and steering wheel.
