Volkswagen Golf GTD Car News

It's the Golf GTI that does 50mpg! These days, even hot hatch drivers have to keep an eye on running costs, and although Volkswagen’s latest GTI is very efficient, the company has introduced a fuel-sipping diesel version.

Called the GTD, it gets a 168bhp 2.0-litre oil-bunner, the same suspension settings as the GTI and a subtle bodykit. The Golf GTD goes up against other oil-burning hot hatches such as the SEAT Leon FR TDI and Skoda Octavia vRS TDI, and it’s on sale now.

Frugal it may be – but the GTD certainly isn’t cheap. Priced from £21,850 in three-door form, it costs only £500 less than the petrol GTI version. So does it offer enough to tempt buyers to go diesel?

The GTD badge is rather unfamiliar, but it’s not a new one for VW – back in the Eighties, the firm offered a 1.6-litre turbodiesel-powered clone of the Golf GTI MkII. This time around, VW has tried harder to give the GTD a look of its own. The major change is the addition of silver trim on the honeycomb grille in place of the GTI’s red stripes. Below that the front bumper is pretty much the same, but at the rear the exhaust pipes are twinned, rather than located at either side of the car, as they are on the GTI.

New 17-inch alloys, or optional 18-inch wheels, and GTD badging complete the changes. However, to our eyes the look is too subtle to call this Golf a true hot hatch, particularly in five-door form as seen here. It’s better inside, as the GTI’s flat-bottomed steering wheel and tartan-trimmed sports seats are carried across – and really look the part.

Under the bonnet, the super smooth 168bhp 2.0-litre common-rail turbodiesel is 39bhp down on the 207bhp GTI. However, it makes up for that with 350Nm of torque – compared to the GTI’s 280Nm – which is available from 1,750rpm-2,500rpm. The 0-62mph sprint takes 8.1 seconds (about a second down on the GTI), while top speed is 138mph (the GTI manages 149mph).

On the move, the diesel certainly offers very strong mid-range punch. The huge torque means it’s easy to leave the GTD in a high gear, such as fourth or even fifth, when overtaking on a country road. Our car came with the £1,305 optional twin-clutch six-speed DSG gearbox – a six-speed manual is standard – and the result is smooth, seamless pace. The engine makes a decent noise, too. VW has equipped the diesel with a clever electromagnetic sound generator, which tunes the unit’s note
so it’s smooth, strong and rather sporty!

However, while the GTD is fast, the petrol version has the edge for driver appeal, boasting a wider rev range and more electric throttle response. The diesel counters when it comes to fuel consumption – VW claims 53.3mpg combined, which means it’s possible to cover 640 miles on one tank! Emissions of 139g/km are another bonus, leaving owners with a yearly road tax bill of £120.

As with the GTI, ride comfort is taut, but the car manages to soak up bumps very well indeed. The GTD doesn’t get the GTI’s XDS electronic limited-slip differential, but there’s no wheelspin, and it grips hard when accelerating out of tight bends. What’s more, the steering is well weighted and accurate, allowing you to corner with precision. Ultimately, though, while it’s an enjoyable fast car, the GTD lacks the excitement of the GTI.

Rival: SEAT Leon FR TDI
It packs the same engine as the Golf GTD, so the Leon FR is quick. It’s a wilder hot hatch and, apart from a firm ride, a fun drive, too. At £18,000, it’s much cheaper as well.

Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/236572/vw_golf_gtd.html#ixzz0NbUKkI0o

Volkswagen Golf VI GTD Announced

After the Polo, the BlueMotion offensive and the Golf GTI, Volkswagen is pulling the next arrow out of its quiver: this time it is the Golf GTD. It is extremely fuel efficient yet exceedingly sporty, and it is debuting as a world premiere at the Auto Mobil International in Leipzig (March 28 to April 05). The GTD code letters carry on a tradition: the first Golf GTD appeared back in 1982 – it was the GTI among diesels. Now Volkswagen has perfected the various aspects of sportiness.

The new Golf GTD with its 125 kW / 170 PS is aimed at all diesel fans who value a maximum in dynamic performance. This is where the GTD shows a clear affinity to the new GTI (155 kW / 210 PS). While the GTI is in its own league with an efficient turbo gasoline engine that offers the same performance as far more expensive sports cars, the Golf GTD is making its appearance with phenomenal fuel economy. Every 100 kilometers, just 5.3 liters of fuel flow through the piezo injection valves of the common rail engine that can hardly be pegged as a diesel. That is equivalent to CO2 emissions of just 139 g/km. This contrasts with a top speed of 222 km/h and 8.1 seconds for the sprint to 100 km/h.

Range of about 1,000 kilometer

As on the GTI, the GTD’s 6-speed manual transmission may be swapped out for an optional 6-speed DSG – which in the eyes of many experts is the most efficient automatic of our times. The Golf GTD with DSG reaches a top speed of 220 km/h; it accelerates to 100 km/h in 8.1 seconds and consumes 5.6 liters diesel on average (147 g/km CO2). These low fuel consumption values take both GTD variants to distances of about 1,000 kilometers on one tank of fuel (55 liters).

The GTD equipped with standard sport chassis and 17-inch alloy wheels (“Seattle” type) bears a close relationship to the GTI, in its highly agile handling properties as well as in its parallels in appearance and features.

GTD exterior

The exterior clearly indicates that this is the sportiest Golf with a diesel engine. Take the front end, for example: the bumper, radiator grille and headlights are a 1:1 match with the GTI. However, the red horizontal stripes in the radiator grille are styled in chrome on the GTD. At the rear, the turbo-diesel sports a modified diffuser. Even though no GTD emblem comes with the car purchase, the diesel version of the Golf can be recognized by its dual chrome tailpipes on the left side of the diffuser (the GTI has one tailpipe on the left and one on the right).

GTD sound

Sound – sporty sound – has not traditionally been a particular strength of diesel engines. However, the GTD’s new common rail engine is different. Since it no longer has a superimposed “hammering” sound that was previously typical of diesels, engineers were able to fine tune its acoustics for the first time. This is accomplished by a special sound generator, which outputs a sonorous tone, especially in the lower engine speed range. The electromagnetic sound generator evaluates engine speed, momentary power demand and vehicle speed data obtained via the car’s CAN bus and tunes the engine sound that can be heard in the interior.

GTD interior

Volkswagen’s GT philosophy is also reflected in the interior. It expresses itself in standard high-end sport seats, a 3-spoke leather steering wheel whose curvature flattens at the bottom (GTD signature in the center chrome badge), leather parking brake lever and leather gearshift boot with stitching in contrasting color. However, unlike in the GTI the color is not red but light gray. The same applies to the sport seats in “Jacky” pattern: The color chosen for the flat-felled seams are an elegant light gray (“Art Grey”) instead of red (“Flash Red”). The seats themselves are styled in a “Black-White” color combination.

GTD safety and convenience

Other standard features of the Golf GTD include details such as a black roofliner and black roof pillar trim, special interior accents, seven airbags including knee airbag on the driver’s side, automatic climate control (“Climatronic”), front fog lights with chrome framing, daytime running lights, ESP, a winter package (with heated windshield washer nozzles, heated front seats, headlight cleaning system and low washer fluid indicator light) and the RCD 210 radio system. Nonetheless, the most important component of standard GTD equipment is still the Common Rail TDI with 170 PS being used in the Golf for the first time.

TDI technology in detail

The 1,968 cm3 displacement engine is from a new TDI generation. It delivers its maximum power at 4,200 rpm. The engine – as sporty as it is fuel efficient – develops its 350 Newton-meter maximum torque between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm. Its specific torque is 177.8 Newton-meter per liter engine displacement. The upshot is that in practically any driving situation, the sixteen-valve four-cylinder engine offers power equivalent to that of a six-cylinder sports car engine.

About the technology: Fuel induction is handled by a common rail system. Fuel injection pressures of up to 1,800 bar and special eight-hole injection nozzles achieve exceptionally fine atomization of the diesel fuel. The eight-hole injection nozzles are driven by what are known as piezo in-line injectors. In this process, electrically controlled piezo crystals – boosted by hydraulics – initiate injection in fractions of a second. Compared to conventional solenoid valves, piezo technology enables more flexible injection processes with smaller and more precisely metered quantities of fuel. The results are a very quiet and pleasantly soft running engine, exceptionally quick response and the excellent fuel economy and emissions values already mentioned.

Another feature having a positive effect on the car’s acoustics is the maintenance-free toothed timing belt for the camshaft. The conversion to common rail technology and many other acoustic measures, such as a noise-damping film in the windshield, make the new Golf GTD one of the quietest diesel models in its class. In addition, the GTD will fulfill limits of the Euro-5 emissions standard. Advance sales of the Golf GTD in Germany will already begin in early May. And the prospects for a successful market launch look good. Because this sporty Volkswagen fits in perfectly with our times.

Vw Golf GTD making its debut in 2010

Few weeks ago we were reporting the birth of a new brother of the GTI but powered by a diesel engine and it seems we were right: the new Vw Golf GTD will make its debut at this year’s AMI Car Show in Leipzig. The new vehicle will feature the 2.0-liter TDI, capable to develop 170 hp and 350 Nm or torque.

With this amount of power, the vehicle will be able to sprint to 100 km/h in just 8.2 seconds while the top speed will be limited to 220 km/h (with only 20 km/h less than the Volkswagen Golf VI GTI). According to the manufacturer, the fuel consumption will be just 5.9 l/100 km (we don’t know at what speeds and how you should drive to achieve this “record”). The new Golf GTD will make its debut on the market this summer, almost the same period as the Golf VI GTI!

Volkswagen Golf GTD Exclusive

The new Golf lineup has been growing by leaps and bounds: At the end of 2008, the sixth generation of the bestseller was launched in Europe and shortly after the new Golf Plus appeared. Then, the current Golf GTI vaulted to center stage, closely followed by the new Golf Wagon. And now the lineup continues: with the new Golf GTD. Its 170hp makes it the highest-performance production Golf with a diesel engine today. The code letters GTD have a magical effect on diesel drivers and continue a long tradition: 27 years ago the first GTD debuted and revolutionized the diesel market with its turbocharged diesel engine; for the first time, a diesel was not only economical but exceedingly sporty, too. The GTD paved the way for the worldwide breakthrough of the TDI - the direct-injection high-tech diesel of the Volkswagen Group.

The new Golf GTD is powered by a highly advanced common-rail TDI engine, which makes it stronger (260 lb/ft), more economical, cleaner and quieter than ever before. The GTD is also sportier: 8.1 seconds to 62mph and a 140mph top speed prove it.

The Golf GTD speaks to diesel fans who value in dynamic performance. That is why the GTD shows such a clear affinity to the Golf GTI by also offering the performance of far more expensive cars. In fact, the Golf GTD has phenomenal fuel economy and a range of approximately 621 miles (with a 12 gallon fuel tank).

The car's technical ingredients are highly advanced. In practically any situation, the 16v four-cylinder engine offers the power of an engine with six cylinders. Just as revolutionary is the six-speed DSG transmission from Volkswagen: Like the Golf GTI, the Golf GTD also has the option of a dual-clutch transmission in place of the standard six-speed manual.

The car is lowered by 15mm, it has 17" "Seattle"wheels and 225-section tires, again repeating the parallels with the GTI in terms of its styling and features. Consider the front end, for example: Among the hallmarks of the GTD and GTI are their bumper designs, with front foglights in a vertical layout. Their headlights and radiator grilles share the same construction as well. In the case of the GTD, the horizontal stripes in the radiator grille - typical of the GTI - are styled in chrome. At the rear, the turbo-diesel also has a different diffuser, and the diesel Golf can be recognized by the twin chrome tailpipes. The tail lights are smoked on both Golf versions.

The GTD's interior follows Volkswagen's GT philosophy, which means the sport seats are the same ones used in the GTI. In contrast to the GTI, the black seats in the GTD are complemented by a light grey diamond stripe pattern instead of red. Another highlight is the three-spoke leather sport steering wheel. And, as on the steering wheel, the parking brake grip and gearshift surround are finished in leather. The instrument and door trim areas are treated with "Black Stripe" gloss-black accents.

Furthermore, the Golf GTD features include details such as chrome bezels for various switches, a black head-liner and pillar trim, automatic climate control, multi-function display "Plus", center armrests and the RCD 210 radio system. Standard features also include lowering of the passenger's side mirror when backing up, heated windshield washer nozzles, headlight cleaning system, "ParkPilot" (with sensors in the front and rear bumpers), ESP with countersteer assist and braking assistant, as well as seven airbags, including a knee airbag on the driver's side. Although GTD models haven't previously been imported to the US, we understand this latest model is under consideration following the successful launch of the Jetta TDI and Jetta Wagon TDI. With VW of America's motorsport involvement in the TDI Cup racing series, the manufacturer is trying to present diesel-powered cars as sporty, so the Golf GTD would fit that criteria if the decision is made to bring it to North America in the future.

2009 Volkswagen Golf GTD

After the Polo, the BlueMotion offensive and the Golf GTI, Volkswagen is pulling the next arrow out of its quiver: this time it is the Golf GTD. It is extremely fuel efficient yet exceedingly sporty, and it is debuting as a world premiere at the Auto Mobil International in Leipzig. The GTD code letters carry

Vw Golf GTD making its debut in 2010

Few weeks ago we were reporting the birth of a new brother of the GTI but powered by a diesel engine and it seems we were right: the new Vw Golf GTD will make its debut at this year’s AMI Car Show in Leipzig. The new vehicle will feature the 2.0-liter TDI, capable to develop 170 hp and 350 Nm or torque.

With this amount of power, the vehicle will be able to sprint to 100 km/h in just 8.2 seconds while the top speed will be limited to 220 km/h (with only 20 km/h less than the Volkswagen Golf VI GTI). According to the manufacturer, the fuel consumption will be just 5.9 l/100 km (we don’t know at what speeds and how you should drive to achieve this “record”). The new Golf GTD will make its debut on the market this summer, almost the same period as the Golf VI GTI!