2006 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

2006 Volkswagen Jetta GLI - When the 2006 Jetta GLI debuted at the Detroit auto show back in January, we learned that it would arrive several months before the nearly identical fifth-generation GTI. (That car debuted in Europe at the end of 2004, but we won't get it until mid-'06.) Staffers who experienced the new GTI on European soil were impressed. The news that we'd get the GLI before the GTI was almost enough to make us look past the new Jetta's Corolla-esque styling, and the 18-inch wheels didn't hurt the looks, either. Previously, some staffers called the Jetta's styling sophisticated; these statements were not without dissent.

The tweaks that make a regular Jetta into a GLI are for the most part tasteful, restrained, and only address what is necessary to make the sweet-sorority-sister Jetta into a beer-guzzling fraternity boy. Alterations involve increasing power, firming up the chassis, and subtly differentiating the interior and exterior. How subtle? The only noteworthy exterior change is a blacked-out honeycomb grille that replaces the slatted chrome unit.

In this latest version of the GLI, Volkswagen selected the corporate 197-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection. The cooling effect of directly injecting fuel into the combustion chamber lets VW get away with a high—for a turbocharged engine—compression ratio of 10.3:1. Compared with the previous-generation GLI's 180-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder, the added displacement and higher compression ratio of the new engine virtually eliminate the minor turbo lag that gave the 1.8-liter a rubber-band-like power delivery—just a small delay between hitting the pedal and getting the power.

We were curious to see if the new GLI was slower than the last of the fourth-generation GLIs. We hadn't officially tested an '05 GLI, so we rounded up a low-mileage (5537 miles) example and ran it through our battery of tests. That GLI, weighing 277 fewer pounds, turned 60 mph in 7.1 seconds and skated through the quarter-mile in 15.5 seconds at 89 mph.

The '06 GLI is larger and more refined than the fourth-generation car. When the Jetta was redesigned, it grew inside and out (especially in the back seat), material and build quality improved, and structural rigidity and isolation from the outside world increased.

It takes a lot of provocation to get the new GLI to compress its longer springs enough to meet the bump stops. What the new GLI does get is a slightly stiffened version of the strut-front and multilink-rear suspension of the base Jetta. The suspension tuning keeps the GLI more planted and, along with larger anti-roll bars, less inclined to body roll, but even with the optional 18-inch wheels ($750), there isn't much of a loss in ride comfort—17-inch wheels with 225/45R-17 summer tires are standard.

What one first notices on entering the GLI is the tilting and telescoping three-spoke multifunction steering wheel that combines the flat bottom of the Lamborghini Gallardo's with the thick and sculpted feel of the Ferrari F430's. Wrapping your paws around it elevates your mood faster than free beer. Connected to the wheel is VW's electrically assisted rack-and-pinion steering that does a convincing impersonation of hydraulic power assist. On-center feel seems better than that of the base car and makes triple-digit speeds stress-free. Turn-in is predictable.

Our tester had comfortable and supportive optional leather seats that were part of a $3200 package that bundles dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, a sunroof, satellite radio, and radio and trip- computer controls on the steering wheel. À la carte options include rear side-impact airbags ($350) and the 18-inch wheels and tires.

It might sport that badge, but the rest of the vehicle constantly whispers Audi, so much so that this newest GLI bears almost no relation to the previous GLI. This successor is chasing after $25,000-to-$30,000 sports sedans, and if you're shopping in that class, the GLI is a viable alternative. However, many of us will miss the cheeky nature of the previous GLI.