2016 VW Jetta GLI Gets A Subtle Facelift, Retains Golf GTI’s 210HP Turbo

In North America, VW’s Jetta GLI is the sedan equivalent of the Golf GTI, and for the 2016MY, the Germans have given the sporty compact a teensy-weensy update.

Most visible is the refreshed front end that gets a new honeycomb grille with three horizontal slats (chrome, black and red), and a re-profiled and -trimmed bumper with different fog-lamps that brings it closer to the Golf GTI. The car also gains a modified rear bumper with a diffuser and pair of chrome-tipped exhausts, with the GLI riding on 18-inch alloys.

On the inside, the 2016MY Jetta GLI benefits from VW’s new MIB 2 infotainment system that incorporates the full suite of USB and Car-Net connectivity, while the automaker also added a new standard feature, the Automatic Post-Collision Braking system, which VW describes thusly:

“This [system] builds on the premise that a collision is rarely a single, instantaneous action, but rather a series of events that follow the initial impact—the most significant of which can cause additional collisions. The Automatic Post-Collision Braking system addresses this by applying the brakes when a primary collision is detected by the airbag sensors, thus helping reduce residual kinetic energy and, in turn, the chance of additional damage.”

VW will once again offer two trim levels for the GLI, the base SE with Keyless access, automatic dual-zone climate control, sunroof, rearview camera, auto headlamps and wipers, front and rear Park Distance Control, and other features, and the SEL that adds several amenities, including navigation, adaptive Bi-Xenon headlights, and Homelink.

Power continues to come from the same 210-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four shared with the Golf GTI. VW did not release pricing for the 2016MY.