As the new GTI hits the road for the first time its sister car has
been unveiled at the Leipzig Motor Show: the new diesel-powered Golf
GTD.
The ability to accelerate to
62 mph in 8.1 seconds and a top speed of 136 mph are combined with
average fuel consumption of 53.3 mpg and a range in excess of 650 miles
on a single tank of fuel to create a hot hatch of the moment.
Lessons learned through the
creation of the sixth generation GTI are applied to the new GTD. Sharp
responses and an agile chassis complement the car’s substantial torque
which is available from as low as 1,750 rpm.
Powering the new GTD is a
refined 2.0-litre (1,968 cc) common rail TDI engine, producing 170 PS
and 258 lbs ft of torque. Driving through a six-speed manual or
automatic DSG gearbox, this translates to effortless performance with CO2 emissions of just 139 g/km.
Maintaining the sharp
responses expected of the GTD is suspension lowered by 15 mm when
compared to the standard Golf. In addition, Volkswagen’s innovative
Adaptive Chassis Control system (ACC), featuring pneumatically
controlled damper units, can be specified on the GTD. This allows the
driver to select from normal, comfort or sport modes to define the
desired suspension, steering and accelerator response settings for any
particular journey.
The Golf GTD’s appearance will
differ significantly from that of the standard Golf’s. It gains the
GTI’s honeycomb grille, badge-style and front-end design, though with
the addition of chrome rather than red highlights. At the back, full
body-coloured bumpers make the GTD appear lower and wider than it
really is, while the Golf’s standard wheels are replaced with unique
17-inch ‘Seattle Black’ alloys. Inside, the main contact points are
unique to the Golf GTD – a flat-bottomed steering wheel, a GTD
gearshift and a standard tartan interior. The tartan finish is subtly
different from that in the GTI, being grey, white and black, rather
than red, white and black.
As with the entire Golf range,
the new GTD will feature class-leading levels of safety with ABS, ESP
(Electronic Stabilisation Programme) and seven airbags, including for
the first time a knee airbag, all standard. The Golf was recently
awarded a maximum five-star rating by the EuroNCAP crash testing agency.
UK buyers will be able to order a Golf GTD from the end of
April. Prices are yet to be confirmed but will start at under
£22,000. The car will go on sale on 22 June – exactly one month after
the first GTIs hit UK roads.