Volkswagen looks to come on like gangbusters in the U.S. in the next several years, said Jonathan Browning, CEO of Volkswagen North America, during the unveiling of the 2012 Jetta GLI at the Chicago Auto Show.

The automaker’s goals for the GLI were to keep Volkswagen’s euro-style, with multilink rear suspension for taut handling, but also meet U.S. buyer demands. So the car also includes carefree maintenance, the carmaker’s Intelligent Crash Response System, and fuel economy and power from a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. It will be priced at $23,000.

The top-of-the-line GLI “is also the first car in our portfolio to offer the new Fender premium audio system, developed exclusively for Volkswagen here in the U.S.,” Browning said in prepared remarks for an Economic Club of Chicago luncheon, where he told the audience that the automaker intends to re-establish itself as a pioneer in the U.S. rather than the niche player it has become.

“Volkswagen sales increased 20 percent last year, nearly double the industry average, and we expect about the same increase again this year,” he said.

He noted that the carmaker has set a goal of 800,000 annual sales in the U.S. by 2018 (up from 256,830) and another 200,000 for Audi in 2010 (up from 100,629). He’s counting on increased production at the VW plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., which has a capacity of 150,000.

Signs are good, he said. “Even through the recession we saw 61 dealers investing over $155 million in new or upgraded facilities.”

“The world has changed, and Volkswagen has changed with it. Volkswagen’s American story began with a single, simple car during an era when import cars were considered exotic. Today, we have a broad portfolio, including cars specifically designed for this market — and now one that is also made in the U.S.A.,” he said of the next generation Passat.