The 2013 Volkswagen Jetta GLI is VW’s top of the line Jetta tuned for performance and accompanied by distinctive features to set it apart from the rest of the Jetta lineup. The German engineering, performance tuning and quality materials make the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta GLI a great pick for those in the market for an everyday car with plenty of power at hand.
ENGINE & DRIVE
The 2013 Volkswagen Jetta GLI is powered by a 2.0L four cylinder turbo charged/intercooled engine paired with a 6 speed transmission resulting with 210 horsepower at a low 1,700 RPM. The turbo allows the engine to output its maximum power at the beginning of acceleration (instead of at 4,000-5,000 RPM) and also provides swift response time when you need power instantly. This fast and responsive engine makes a beautiful sound when accelerating and also idles with a pleasing rumble.
2013 Volkswagen Jetta GLI is designed with performance in mind, so when driven accordingly the gas consumption is not ideal. However, when driving the Jetta GLI for daily purposes you can expect a fuel consumption of 8.8 L/100km in the city and 6.1 L/100km on the highway. While driving the 2013 VW Jetta GLI, we averaged 8.3 L/100km in fuel consumption from combined city/highway driving along with some pedal to the metal acceleration for good measure!
INTERIOR & EXTERIOR
The first thing you notice when looking at the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta GLI is the sharp exterior design. Our test car was Tornado Red and the exterior colours were mostly red with black and chrome highlights. In keeping with the colours, both the rims and front grille were dual toned black and chrome accompanying red and chrome side skirts. Add to this the LED daytime running lights, front fog lights and shark fin antenna and you have a smart and aggressive looking exterior.
The interior of the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta GLI is made to look sportier with the black leather interior and red stitching on the seats, steering wheel and shifter. Although the front passengers may feel a bit cramped, there is plenty of legroom for the rear passengers and also an enormous trunk space made even larger with the 60/40 folding rear seats.
The simple and modern looking dash helps keep things simple by minimizing the number of buttons and placing controls in an intuitive location. The chrome highlights through the front and on the dash are also in keeping with the sporty look of the exterior.
This top of the line performance Jetta is packed full of all the latest comforts and technology, the most useful of which (in my opinion) are the auto levelling/turning headlights (termed AFS) that light the way around corners.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The performance tuning of the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta GLI will provide a fun, fast and memorable experience every time you take it for a drive. Starting at $27,590 ($34,640 as tested), the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta GLI is definitely worth considering if in the market for a quality entry level performance sedan. The full beauty of this vehicle can’t be appreciated until you take one for a drive!
