Trying to understand the confusing mess of Volkswagen's performance trims

"Kar Wai Wong" (kingawesome467) 11/14/2018 at 00:05 • Filed to: VW, Volkswagen, Volkswagen Golf, Golf, VW Golf, VW Golf GTI, Volkswagen Golf GTI, Golf GTI, GTI, Volkswagen Golf R, VW Golf R, Golf R, Jetta, Jetta GLI, GLI, Volkswagen Jetta, VW Jetta, VW Jetta GLI, Volkswagen Jetta GLI, VW Scirocco, Scirocco, Volkswagen Scirocco

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VW kinda has a problem with trims. The Golf has 12! And their long history means they have a lot of historical nameplates. And trying to understand their multiple performance lines is as confusing as the 911 lineup.

Let’s start off with the easiest.

GTI, probably the most famous letters in the world of hot hatches. It started off as the performance variant of the original Golf back in 1975. And since than with every new generation of Golf, a GTI version is guaranteed.

After a while other different GTI models started appearing, such as GTI versions of the Polo, the up!, the Lupo....wait there was a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! A !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ? Oh these look so cool, how come I’ve never heard of them before?! Even now with a range of 3, it’s still kinda hard for my head to wrap round that there are GTis other than the Golf.

There was also a period where Volkswagen used the VR6 designation for any performance models using (you guessed it) their VR6 engine, which was more powerful than it’s GTI contemporaries.

For the Mk4 Golf, the VR6 model was basically renamed R32, and also gained an AWD drivetrain from the Audi TT. And when they ditched the V6 for the Mk6, the name changed again to the Golf R. So every time there was a major change to the formula, the name changed with it. The R badge basically means more powerful than the GTI and has AWD.

Than the Scirocco R comes in. The performance version of the Scirocco presumably named R due to it’s similar output to the Golf R. Because gosh darn their sportiest model be treated to such feeble power like a GTI! And yet it’s FWD like the base Scirocco, and doesn’t R stand for AWD? Guess it didn’t fit the GTI name, so they used the other major performance badge they had. *shrug*

The Scirocco was sadly discontinued recently, and despite rumours and concepts of a Polo R and a Beetle R, the Golf is the only VW to currently wear the R name.......kinda...

You see, like every mainstream car manufacture, VW has a faux-performance line, with the sporty looks but minimal to zero actual performance improvements. VW’s is called R-Line, which serves as the highest trim level and is obviously meant to evoke their actual R cars car.

Although, once again, isn’t the entire point of R cars, is that they’re AWD and have more power? And R-Line models tend to have none of those properties compared to their regular counterparts. I know that these things are meant to be cash grabs and all, but I don’t see any semblance to the proper R models. Interestingly they didn’t try to cash in on the GTI name.

I think the old GT trim makes alot more sense than the R-Line, in which they evoke the GTI but they’re clearly not actually a GTI. You can see the link between it and the real thing, unlike the R and R-Line models. For the Mk5, there was also a GT Sport trim, which I don’t think there was any performance differences from the regular GT, just extra kit. In fact there was also a Sport trim, which was actually just the name for one of the lower trims. Guess VW always had problems with this naming stuff.

Unfortunately since than, the GT name has basically become the name of the second highest trim level, with basically no resemblance to anything sporty.

But it’s not all gloom, as the Passat GT actually sticks to the original idea of the GT trim. The only discernible difference to the regular Passats however is tweaked suspension.

Hey, maybe we should make a performance version of the Jetta?

Sure. Hey we’ve got some GTI parts lying around, let’s use those!

Let’s swap it with a GTI engine!

And the GTI transmission!

Brakes from the GTI!

Don’t forget some GTI suspension parts!

Whoo! What a pocket rocket! What shall we call it?

Hmm, there’s no way it deserves the GTI nameplate, they’re like 2 completely different vehicles! We need a different name. Hmm....I’ve got an idea!

Who said companies couldn’t make their own in-house knockoffs?

Seriously what was the logic behind this? Is there some unwritten rule that GTIs can only be hatchbacks?

From what I’ve read, at least with the modern ones, that they use the same engines, but the GLI tends to have less torque, a bit less refined and....that’s really it? I mean, if you called it the Jetta GTI, would anyone really be angry? You wouldn’t even have to change the styling, it looks like a GTI as it is (That’s starting to become a theme here...). Up the torque and fettle the chassis a bit than if that’s really what’s preventing it from earning that badge. In fact, calling it a GTI could get people to start to notice it more.

So if you wanted to see what a VW GTI ute looks like, here it is!

This is the Brazilian exclusive Pepper trim for the up!, Fox, and the sweet little Saveiro ute. Basically GTI-lites, the up! Pepper here produces 105hp (in comparison, the regular produces 59-73hp, while the proper GTI gives out 113hp). Also they all come with a stick shift as their only option. Nice.

Side graphics always appreciated.

There was also the Beetle Turbo, which shared the same 2 litre as the Golf GTI-Ah! Again! Same engine, different badge. And yes, I know this is hearkening back to the original Beetle Turbo, which is probably a better fit than Beetle GTI. Oh well, like the Scirocco it’s dead too, so I can’t mope about the name too much.

But since I mentioned Scirocco again...

To bridge the gap between the regular and R versions, a Scirocco with the GTI engine was introduced, called the GTS...... VW WTF! You had 3 different models with GTI engines and GTI styling and you give them all 3 different names each! Why isn’t this called this the Scirocco GTI? It wouldn’t be !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ! Or if you didn’t want to risk diluting the GTI brand, than use the GLI badge instead! Consistency man!

Turns out VW’s going to stick with the GTS name as their official counterfeit GTI, with the release of the Chinese exclusive Lamando GTS, which once again, shares the GTI engine. Once again, how is this approach any different from the GLI?

In fact, just a a couple days ago as of time of writing, VW presented 2 concepts of a Polo GTS and Virtus (Polo saloon) GTS, intended for South America. Apparently the GTS name has a little bit of history there, with a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . These concepts have a newly developed 1.5 litre TSI engine that’s available in the Golf, in contrast to the GTI’s 2 litre and-Wait a minute! I thought the GTS name basically meant a GTI model without the expectations of being a GTI! And now they’re positioning it as a sub-GTI?

Even more confusing, is that in the Philippines, GTS was the name for the Golf estate! VW make up your mind what GTS stands for!

Than there’s the GTE range. Now I always thought that these were the performance versions of their electric models, the e-Golf GTI if you will. But nope, turns out that’s just the brand for their plug-in models, slight GTI-esque styling is the only thing they really tried to make sporty.

Finally there’s the Golf GTD, basically the diesel counterpart to the GTI. Personally I think they should’ve been a GTI, and maybe a little TDI badge in the corner. With the different name of GT D it kinda brags to the world how your car is a diesel, not unlike electric cars, where they almost always have an e in their name. And who on earth brags about how they got the diesel version. I guess VW is that person, who must be so proud of their diesels, that they just have to advertise it so prominently on their model. Yeah! That’s it!

.......

So that’s a not-at-all confusing look at the 236 different ways you can get a fast Volkswagen. In fact, there was a few more I didn’t list, mostly limited production, special editions or concepts (such as RSi, used only for !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) but I hope that I got all of the major modern ones. Who knows? Seriously, writing this took forever as I kept finding new performance trims to write about! I’ll probably discover 27 more examples after I post this!

See, look at the left most Golf. VW considers the GTE as a performance car, when it’s clearly not!

Now come on VW. I hear you’re trying to enter a new era for yourself after some small slip ups (something about diesels?), and that means the chance to simplify your entire performance lineup! Here’s my suggestions.

GT-Line: Replaces the R-Line. Gains very mild GTI-like styling, and mild or zero performance enhancements.

GT: Serves as warmer versions of the full-fat GTIs. Gains GTI-like styling. Rename the Pepper line as GTs if they’ll continue to be a thing, and up the power on the Passat GT. If the Polo and Virtus GTS ever make production, call them GTs as well.

GTI: Keep how it is. Develop proper GTI versions of the Jetta and Lamando to replace the GLI and GTS versions (in which those nameplates would be killed).

R: Keep mostly how it is, but make AWD a requirement. Doesn’t have AWD, but is more powerful than a GTI? Call it a GTI TCR or something.

Rename GTE to something like “Golf plug-in hybrid”. Or make them actual performance versions of the electric models (although, considering every performance sub-brand will inevitably go electric, maybe not).

Bring back the Scirocco and introduce a new rear engine RWD Beetle. Make GTI and R versions.

Phaeton W12 R600.

If there’s some super glaringly obvious things I’m missing, like the reason why a Jetta GLI can’t be called a GTI or if there is some tangible difference between GLI and GTS, please inform me by telling me that making this post was a complete waste of time.

AestheticsInMotion > Kar Wai Wong 11/14/2018 at 00:16

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I’ve long wondered about this. Especially about GLI in relation to GTI.

Good Oppo right here. 

Cash Rewards > Kar Wai Wong 11/14/2018 at 00:20

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H oly shit, that ute!

Kim Jong - Healthy > Kar Wai Wong 11/14/2018 at 00:24

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I was curious and just searched it.

According to various VW dealers, GTI stands for “grand touring injection” and GLI stands for “grand luxury injection”

http://www.donaldsonsvw.com/blog/what-do-volkswagen-car-names-mean/

kinda..uninspired, really.

Urambo Tauro > Kar Wai Wong 11/14/2018 at 00:33

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This is the sort of thing that drives me up the wall. Of all of the compromises and difficult decisions involved in engineering a car, you’d think that naming things would be easy. Especially when you already have well-established naming conventions that everyone’s become familiar with.

They seem all too eager to throw brand identity out the window and change things up for no effing reason. It’s got nothing to do with emissions, or safety regs, or whatever. There is absolutely nothing stopping them from using terminology that makes sense. But somehow when faced with the choice to use terminology that is consistent with the brand’s history, or confuse the hell out of their customers, they often choose the latter.

Herr Quattro - Has a 4-motion > Kar Wai Wong 11/14/2018 at 03:35

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Small Correction- first R32 was the Mk4, not the Mk5.

The Scirocco R you mentioned was introduced when the Mk5 R32 was around. With the Mk6, they kept the 2.0L from the GTI and just pumped more power into it, but since it wasn’t the 3.2L VR6, it just became the Golf R. That’s kinda why that came about.

Also if you want to know how ass backwards the R-Line is, the spec sheet for the R-Line Passat is nuts.

The R-Line doesn’t have the Push to start, OR a sunroof, which is standard in the mid range SE Trim Passat. It’s a base model with fancy exterior trim and leather seats. Yeah. I don’t know about the Passat GT. But the Passat needs a new generation ASAP, the Passat is the only car still not based on the MQB platform.

Also the normal range of trims for VWs are S, SE, SEL. The GTI is S, SEL, Autobahn.

Except, the regular golf has a Wolfsburg trim. Don’t ask me, I don’t have an effing clue what that changes, because they already have an SEL Golf. There was also a Wolfsburg Jetta, but I think it was just a last year edition of the Mk6.

Also the GLI doesn’t have any trim levels.

Also, they shouldn’t change the GLI. The GLI nameplate is nearly as old as the GTI itself is. Also the GTS nameplate isn’t coming back, I’m sure somebody has a trademark on it.

Herr Quattro - Has a 4-motion > Kim Jong - Healthy 11/14/2018 at 03:36

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If you want, when you translate it into Italian you get: Gran Turismo Iniezione

Which sounds wayyy better.

VW Max > Kar Wai Wong 11/14/2018 at 03:39

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I’d like to point out that there were a couple more R cars early on. There was the Toureg R50, a sportier Toureg V10 TDI, and the Passat R36, a passat VR6 with more power and AWD. I think the number after the R was dumped because it wouldn’t make sense to “downgrade” the Golf R when it switched to a 2.0 turbo engine.

High performance GTI variants have their own names, the GTI Clubs port and Clubsport S. However, the MK6 Golf R cabrio, like the Scirrocco R, had no AWD and was essentially a more powerful GTI. VW has also said that the GTI brand is for true hatchbacks only. This explains why the MK6 R cabrio was not called a GTI.

Probenja > Kar Wai Wong 11/14/2018 at 05:04

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VW’s previous importer here in Chile which was a bit shady, did GTS-Line versions of the Gol, Polo and Golf with the base engines and added an aftermarket body kit with some big wheels. Literally the laziest way to sell a sportier trim.

Oh and while searching for those I found that South Africa did a similar thing with the GTS name.

Minardi Gras > Kar Wai Wong 11/14/2018 at 05:27

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The GTE has a mode that combines the electric and ICE power for 200~ HP and similar performance to the GTD. It’s a warm hatch, i t could have been called a GT- E or something but the interior and styling is the same as the GTI so I figure they upsold it.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Kar Wai Wong 11/14/2018 at 09:47

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At least with the GLI currently on sale, it’s a last gen car. The engine is the same as the Mk6 GTI that stopped production in 2013-14.

B/Xmrrmvr > Kar Wai Wong 11/14/2018 at 11:40

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R: Keep mostly how it is, but make AWD a requirement. Doesn’t have AWD, but is more powerful than a GTI? Call it a GTI TCR or something.

I thought VW was going to release a GTI TCR ?

Kar Wai Wong > B/Xmrrmvr 11/14/2018 at 12:22

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Yeah, I was looking for an example for a special edition GTI, and the TCR was the most recent and the one that popped into my head. I could have sworn that they said it was just a concept, and it wasn’t going into production though. Guess I got it mixed up with the 60 billion other Wörthersee concepts they reveal.  

Kar Wai Wong > Probenja 11/14/2018 at 12:24

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Now t hat’s 4 different uses of the name GTS! VW WHY!

Kar Wai Wong > VW Max 11/14/2018 at 12:28

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A T ouareg R?! Why am I only finding out about some of these super cool VWs now!

VW has also said that the GTI brand is for true hatchbacks only. This explains why the MK6 R cabrio was not called a GTI.

Errrr, so what’s this? .....

Kar Wai Wong > Herr Quattro - Has a 4-motion 11/14/2018 at 12:38

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Small Correction- first R32 was the Mk4, not the Mk5.

Oops, typo! Fixed.

But the Passat needs a new generation ASAP, the Passat is the only car still not based on the MQB platform.

Looks like it’s coming. Bout to release in China.

Also the GTS nameplate isn’t coming back, I’m sure somebody has a trademark on it.

Who Porsche? I’m sure they can pull a few strings . Also the B razillian GTS concepts were revealed a few days ago. And Peugeot seems to have no problems using the GTi .

Kar Wai Wong > Cash Rewards 11/14/2018 at 12:43

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Utes are the best. I even made a list of the remaining ones still on sale . *cough* *cough* *plug* *cough*.

Kar Wai Wong > Urambo Tauro 11/14/2018 at 12:49

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Well other than trademarks, but yeah. Glad to know others get frustrated about banal naming decisions too.

Kar Wai Wong > Herr Quattro - Has a 4-motion 11/14/2018 at 12:53

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Italian. The language that can make the phrase four doors sound sexy. Although I wonder if Italians feel really awkward when they hear that name .

VW Max > Kar Wai Wong 11/14/2018 at 20:01

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I am now very confused too.

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2017/06/there-will-never-be-volkswagen-gti-suv-crossover/

Spanfeller is a twat > Herr Quattro - Has a 4-motion 11/27/2018 at 12:34

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Gran lusso Iniezione