The 2024 Jetta GLI 40th Anniversary Edition is still powered by the same 2.0-liter turbocharged EA888 I-4 and comes with the same equipment as the standard GLI, so it doesn’t distinguish itself from a regular GLI in the performance department. Being a limited run of just 1,984 examples (a nod to the first year of the GLI), it would have been nice to have some additional performance or handling, perhaps taking inspiration from the 2022 SEMA show GLI .
Instead, the big news on the 40th Anniversary Edition are some cosmetic changes. There are some special paint jobs—either Pure Gray, Pure White, or Rising Blue—with blacked out trim to contrast the red accents and 18-inch wheels in black. Inside, the GLI 40th gets embossed molecular cloth seats (what, no plaid?), each one being “one of a kind” (we’ll have to take VW’s word on that). The cupholders will also come with an engraved GLI logo in one and “1984” in the other. Other 40th interior touches include seat tags and front door sills with “GLI 40” and the steering wheel will have a “40” at the six o’clock position. It will also come without the Autobahn package, so no sunroof, heated leather steering wheel, and Beats audio.
The good news is that VW won’t charge an arm and a leg for the 2024 Jetta GLI 40th Anniversary Edition. When it goes on sale later this summer, it will have an MSRP of $29,235 for the manual and $30,035 for the DSG version. That’s a fair bit cheaper than the 2023 GLI (which only comes in the fully loaded Autobahn trim).
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