FIRST DRIVE: Volkswagen Golf GTD

The Golf GTI's oil burning alter ego is back, and in Mk7 guise, the latest GTD is faster and more frugal than ever. But is this a case of always fun until someone loses an i?

What a difference a D makes. Not much of a difference at all, judging by the picture.

Visually, besides the badges, only different wheels and a chrome, rather than red strip, underscoring the grille, differentiate the GTD from the GTI. Inside, again, they’re almost identical, but the GTD’s sports seats are trimmed in a plainer tartan that does without the GTI’s Yuppie red infusion.

How do they compare for power and performance?

The petrol GTI’s 2.0-litre turbo four kicks out 217bhp and 258lb ft of torque, sufficient for 0-62mph in 6.5sec and a 152mph top end. Go for the optional performance pack (10bhp extra, torque stays the same) and you shave off 0.1 sec and add 3mph to the top speed.The diesel produces 184bhp (with no upgrade pack available, at least officially), but compensates with 280lb ft, so while its 142mph top speed and 7.5sec 62mph best won’t win any awards, it feels mightily rapid in the mid-range. It’s incredibly refined compared with earlier high power diesel Golfs, and even sounds like a proper hot hatch if you select the Sport button to engage some fake engine warblings. Predictably though, that typically narrow diesel powerband, where push runs out not long after 4000rpm, means the GTI impression isn’t entirely convincing. The GTD’s performance is useful, but never as invigorating as a GTI’s.The diesel engine adds 27kg to the kerbweight, almost all of it over the nose, but the handling remains excellent, provided you’re not expecting Megane Renaultsport tactility. The quick two-turns rack makes the GTD feel much more alert than its predecessor and you get the XDS+ system from the GTI, which pinches the inside front wheel to prevent wheelspin, and the inside rear to swivel the car into corners. Unfortunately, because you can’t get a Performance Pack upgrade, you can’t get the GTI’s optional mechanical limited slip differential, which actually pulls the car into the apex, the harder you plant your right foot. You won’t miss it if you spend your days shuttling between services on the M1, but you will if you also dabble in the odd trackday.

So which does VW expect to be more popular, the GTD or the GTi?

It’s no contest. This sector is massively dependent on fleet sales, and the CO2 and economy advantage of the diesel means it will outsell the petrol by two to one. Cleanest of the lot is the six-speed manual GTD at a staggering 67mpg and 109g/km, figures VW happily points out, match those of the 2007 104bhp Bluemotion Golf. A stick-shift GTI – no eco disaster itself - lags behind on 139g/km and 47mpg. Both cars are fractionally dirtier if you go for the optional DSG dual-clutch ‘box. We drove the GTD in both forms and preferred the light-shifting, more involving manual. In terms of list price, there’s almost nothing in it. A basic three-door GTD costs £25,285, and the equivalent GTi, £25,845.

Verdict

You'll have more fun in a GTI, thanks to the petrol engine’s character, and especially if you order the optional performance pack sadly not available on the GTD. But in 90% of driving situations the GTD is just as accomplished, looks just as good and will guzzle half as much fuel. And if you’re a company driver, it’s GTD all the way. Criticise the Golf for its predictability if you will, but the GTD is a fine car, and no hot hatch on the market is better in tune with the times. MG

Source: CAR Magazine

Test Drive: Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI SE

Here we are at the wheel of the mk7 Golf, the new European Car of the Year. We drove the predictably popular 1.6 TDI in SE trim.
We would like to point out that this Golf was already designed and styled four years ago at the launch of the mk6 Golf. We suspect that the people at VW have already designed the mk8 Golf, a bit of German clairvoyance that somehow decides on what the future of motoring will look like.

EXTERIOR: The new Golf has a much more square-cut design than the mk6 which makes it look very wide and low, the complete opposite of the tall and narrow looking mk5. It's a minimalist design with a wide front grille and headlights placed at the extreme corners to enhance the squat look. The double-xenon headlights transform a relatively anonymous front end, easily mistaken for a Jetta, into a very modern and up-to-date trend setter. The back has a wrap-up design with a large, full-width window which provides great visibility and makes an Honda Civic look rather impractical. Yet again the back of this Golf can be easily confused with a Passat estate. However the profile is unmistakably Golf and the new style alloy wheels make this mk7 look a touch posher than its  predecessor.

INTERIOR: The interior doesn't have the 'wow factor' of the gorgeous Audi A3 but the finishing standard and the grade of the materials used are both top class. The dashboard design is simple and easy to use with a large touchscreen with intuitive functions and big easy-to-read icons. Ergonomics are excellent, the steering wheel buttons are clearly labelled and, despite being numerous, they are never confusing. The only thing that contrasts this quality interior are the seats which despite being very comfortable, look a bit utilitarian and the pattern of the cloth is too simple, the seats on the mk6 Golf appeared more contoured and the cloth looked more elegant. We like the presence of the electronic handbrake which frees a bit of space and makes the centre console nice and tidy. Other nice touches are the carpeted door pockets for a rattle-free journey and the piano black inserts on the steering wheel which ooze quality.

DRIVING: This latest Golf is lighter than the retiring model and it shows on the road. The 1.6 TDI, which used to be sluggish at low revs, is now been revised and delivers full torque at 1500rpm so there is a lot more low-end grunt. The progress is consistent and the engine noise is never invasive although we noticed a few extra vibrations at the steering wheel and pedals than we were expecting. This mk7 Golf is a very comfortable car and, although this version and the 1.2-litre petrol have a simpler suspension design than more powerful models, the ride quality is first class and we struggle to think how much better the next generation Golf can be. The 2.0-litre TDI is a more refined engine although it doesn't match the 74.3mpg and 99g/km of CO2 which give this car free access to the London Congestion Charge Zone.

PRICES: This mk7 Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI SE comes at £20,500. A few Golf generations back, this kind of money would have bought you a GTI version of this bomb-proof bestseller but there is a lot of engineering work behind this mk7 to save weight and save you overall running costs. It also comes with loads of standard kit such as cruise control, bluetooth connectivity, city-braking system, dual-zone climate control and so on.

VERDICT: This new generation of the Golf shows a bigger leap forward than the mk6 which was fondamentally a revised version of the mk5. It promises what the Golf name is usually known for, a reliable and an honest family hatchback. We would perhaps prefer the 2.0-litre TDI which still only emits 106g/km and returns an official figure of 68.9mpg. It will cost around £1500 more than this 1.6-litre version but it should be more refined and offer a better ride if that's at all possible. Either way you will end up with a classy car which will munch miles in perfect comfort and will retain a good slice of its initial purchase cost when you will decide to trade it in, perhaps for the mk8 Golf. MG

Our test car was kindly provided by Benfield Volkswagen.

Volkswagen Golf R Cabriolet

The R Cabriolet is the fastest soft-top Golf ever built.

Despite the fact that the new mk7 hatch is already on sale, this is the last shot for the mk6. However it's not the first time that Volkswagen has sold the convertible version of the Golf with its previous generation body and interior.

The new Golf R Cabriolet features a 261bhp 2.0-litre petrol turbo capable of a 0-62mph sprint in 6.4 seconds. This new version is a front wheel drive only opposed to the four-wheel drive Golf R hatchback and, due to necessary body strengthening, it's 94kg heavier.

The Golf R is a very capable and an awesome looking car but the £38,770 price tag is a steep £8,000 more than the Golf R hatchback. Furthermore it's also £1,000 more expensive than an entry-level Porsche Boxster which is one of the best sports cars on the road. MG

Volkswagen Golf mk7 TDI SE: Preview.

We recently took the Volkswagen Golf mk7 for a Test Drive. We will shortly explain why this car is a proud winner of the latest European Car of the Year Award. MG