I'd imagine the grip factor of wheels is dependant on the width of the tyre/wheel. 18's look better on a mk4 IMO. There may not be too much difference in the grip difference if you keep the same width wheel, if at all, if you move up to 18's.
The only thing that will change is the profile of the tyre, so you will have less side wall movement in the tyre, which affects handling to my knowledge. F1 cars have massive tyres as their side wall counts as part of the suspension
