Inner Strength

It was P. Diddy. Now it's just Diddy. It was Jetta GLI. Now it's just GLI. When you're struggling with an identity crisis, less often is more.

Hip Hop impresario Sean “Puffy” Combs, aka Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is struggling to remain fresh and relevant with a young, fickle audience constantly looking for something new.

The GLI is fighting much the same battle.

Plus, Volkswagen AG is hoping to build the same type of brand equity for the GLI name that it has managed to do with the GTI, the performance version of the Golf hatchback that it sells for a premium in every world market.

That part may be a stretch. The Jetta once was a hip Euro sedan that was the envy of the industry because it attracted young, upwardly mobile buyers, but it now is fighting desperately to win back 20-something fans who have moved on to other, mostly Japanese brands.

But, despite mixed reviews from the media, the Jetta and GLI show promise.

Even though VW's overall 2005 U.S. sales are forecast to be down 15% from 2004, Ward's predicts Jetta sales will be up 9.4% for the year, to 100,427 units. (GLI sales cannot be broken out.)

It's not hard to figure out why. On a test drive in the rolling hills around Sante Fe, NM, we found that once you get past the car's much-criticized bland, seemingly Asian-inspired exterior, it is almost all good.

The interior is simple, but the surfaces are low-gloss and richly textured for a premium, Teutonic look. The GLI also gets real aluminum trim in place of the fake stuff, and it is used tastefully.

What really sets the GLI apart from the pack is its engine and suspension. It features the stunning 2.0T intercooled and turbocharged gasoline I-4 that is one of the best 4-cyls. on the market.

The same DOHC FSI direct-injection beauty that powers the Audi A3 and A4 is extraordinarily smooth and vibration-free, and yet still cranks out an impressive 100-hp per liter and 207 lb.ft. (281 Nm) of torque beginning at 1,800 rpm.

The suspension also is a treat. Stiffer spring rates and increased diameter roll bars front and rear are added to the Jetta's already competent setup that includes a multilink rear suspension. The result is a very controlled ride at speed and during cornering, but it is not overtly stiff like so many performance-oriented cars costing less than $25,000.

The GLI's cabin is extremely quiet, even at triple-digit speeds, meaning it delivers on its claim of autobahn-bred German engineering, even though it is built in Mexico. Thanks to a black honeycomb mesh grille with a red surround strip, blue-tinted windows, red brake calipers and optional 18-in. wheels, the GLI also manages to look a lot less like a suburban grocery-getter than its Jetta sibling.

That brings us to the other major criticism of the Jetta and GLI: price. Considering the GLI's superb engine, German road manners and long list of standard goodies, the $23,790 base price doesn't seem unreasonable. (The base Jetta starts at about $18,000.)

However, throw in the typical-equipment $3,200 luxury package that includes leather interior, heated seats and a few other options — plus the $615 destination charge — and suddenly you're flirting with a $30,000 price tag. Buyers no doubt are choosing options carefully.

Nevertheless, the Jetta and GLI should find their way back into younger buyer's hearts, at least those who can look past the slightly pudgy exterior and appreciate its inner strengths: a great powertrain and fine German engineering.

We decline to speculate as to whether Mr. Diddy will fare as well.