Parsimonious economy, performance, practicality – new Golf GTD breaks cover
Just as the first UK deliveries of the Mk 7 Golf are filtering through, Volkswagen has today announced details of the new performance-orientated Golf GTD, the derv-sipping cousin of the Golf GTI. It’s a whole three decades since the nameplate was first introduced, and the latest version builds on the parsimonious, performance, and practical foundations that the original Mk 1 version set. The Mk 7 Golf GTD is powered, once again, by a 2.0-litre common-rail turbodiesel engine, with 182bhp and 380Nm (280lb ft) of torque, available from just 1750rpm.
The six-speed Golf GTD is reputedly able to drive 67.3 miles per gallon of fuel, and has emissions of 109g/km – when specified with the optional six-speed DSG gearbox, emissions rise by 10g/km and fuel economy dips to 60.1mpg, still more than respectable for a performance hatchback. Living up to its ethos, the 1309kg Golf GTD takes 7.5 seconds to reach 62mph from rest, and can reach 142mph.
Standard kit is what you’d expect a sporting Golf to have – 17-inch alloy wheels fitted with 225/45 tyres, side skirts, more aggressive front and rear bumpers (the rear including a diffuser), sports suspension, smoked LED tail lights and a larger-than-standard rear spoiler. Moving inside, there are the now obligatory tartan sports seats, a black rooflining, sports steering wheel, stainless steel pedals, and GTD-specific gear knob and trim strips. There’s also now a touch of bling, with white ‘ambience lighting’, while high-end equipment includes climate control, parking sensors and a winter pack.Available in Germany for €29,350, the new Golf GTD is available to order from 5 March, with UK sales expected to start in April. Deliveries are said to start in the summer, with UK prices and exact specification to be confirmed. Proving how important a model the GTD now is, Volkswagen has unveiled it before the latest iteration of the GTI, and will be debuting the new GTD at the 2013 Geneva motor show next month.