Photo: Volkswagen
Volkswagen has just announced a brand new model joined the Golf range - the GTD Variant, combining their 184 PS 2.0 TDI engine with the practical estate body. The car will debut in March at the Geneva Motor Show and will be available in Germany from €31,975.
The GTD Variant comes as a complete shock to us, but maybe it shouldn't, considering how many new diesel performance estates have been launched recently. There's the Peugeot 308 GT with a 180 PS BlueHDI engine and the new Ford Focus ST Wagon with a 186 PS TDCi engine.
What's interesting is that while the GTD has almost the exact same power output, VW says it's faster than its rivals, with a 0 to 100 km/h time of 7.9 seconds, 0.2s faster than the Ford. This may be down to the fact DSG gearbox which will undoubtedly be offered and gives an advantage off the line.
But let's be honest here - you don't buy a GTD Variant just for the performance, since you know a GTI is going to be so much faster. You buy it for the fuel consumption, which VW claims can be as low as 4.4 liters per 100 kilometers on the combined cycle. It's good, but Peugeot has claimed its 308 GT achieves 4 l/100km on the combined cycle.
An aggressive body kit, tinted bi-xenon headlights, 17-inch alloys in the Curitiba design, 15mm lower suspension, and chrome tips for the exhaust are all standard. Inside, you may also notice the steering wheel which has a progressive ratio, a gear stick shaped like a golf ball and Checkered Black seats that provide side bolstering.
And for an extra 965 euros there is the Sports and Design package featuring driving mode selection, Nogaro 18-inch alloy wheels, red brake callipers and tinted windows. We'd definitely order this bit of kit.
What's interesting is that while the GTD has almost the exact same power output, VW says it's faster than its rivals, with a 0 to 100 km/h time of 7.9 seconds, 0.2s faster than the Ford. This may be down to the fact DSG gearbox which will undoubtedly be offered and gives an advantage off the line.
But let's be honest here - you don't buy a GTD Variant just for the performance, since you know a GTI is going to be so much faster. You buy it for the fuel consumption, which VW claims can be as low as 4.4 liters per 100 kilometers on the combined cycle. It's good, but Peugeot has claimed its 308 GT achieves 4 l/100km on the combined cycle.
What do you get for €31,975?
We're not huge fans of diesel hot hatchbacks, since you pay more for the car and get watered down performance in return, available in a limited rev band. But the GTD makes more sense as a family-oriented Variant. You pay only €1,700 extra compared to the 3-door version of the model and receive a more practical car.An aggressive body kit, tinted bi-xenon headlights, 17-inch alloys in the Curitiba design, 15mm lower suspension, and chrome tips for the exhaust are all standard. Inside, you may also notice the steering wheel which has a progressive ratio, a gear stick shaped like a golf ball and Checkered Black seats that provide side bolstering.
And for an extra 965 euros there is the Sports and Design package featuring driving mode selection, Nogaro 18-inch alloy wheels, red brake callipers and tinted windows. We'd definitely order this bit of kit.
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