2009 Golf GTD diesel flagship preview
March 28, 2009 by George Skentzos
Volkswagen has revealed the new diesel flagship for its MkVI Golf range ahead of its official debut at the 2009 Leipzig Motor Show in Germany.
The Golf GTD is a doppelganger of the recently unveiled GTI model, although as its name suggests it is powered by a 2.0-litre TDI common-rail turbodiesel engine.
This engine produces maximum power of 127kW and peak torque of 350Nm between 1750 and 2500rpm, compared to 154kW from the Golf GTI.
This is mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox or an optional six-speed DSG dual clutch transmission with power sent to the front wheels.
Performance between the two transmissions is identical, with the Golf GTD launching to 100km/h in 8.1 seconds from a standing start and on to a top speed of 222km/h.
While this performance may be dwarfed by the GTI, fuel economy more than makes up for this fact – using just 5.3-litres of diesel per 100km giving it a potential range of around 1000kms on a single tank.
The Golf GTD is equipped with the same performance paraphernalia as its petrol powered sibling, including sports suspension, 17-inch alloy wheels and sports body kit – featuring a chromed strip on the grille in lieu of the red on the GTI.
Inside, the GTD boasts sports bucket seats with a black and white tartan pattern, three spoke steering wheel with a flattened bottom edge, leather handbrake and black moulded headliner.
Production of the new Golf GTD will start next month, with overseas sales following soon after that.
Print it: 
Hmm, I don’t think I could go past a GTI personally but I’ll reserve judgement until the reviews come. I just think that if you want a hot hatch you my not be thinking of economy and I’ve seen review for the new GTI, it’s still the best.
I know it’s not everybody’s cup of tea but I really like that after all these years Volkswagen still has the iconic tartan seat trim on the GTI and now this. After all, most would probably spec leather anyway so I like that they keep the tartan for the people who like it.
Im running around in a 2.3 ton td pajero that puts out these numbers and when you poke it in the ribs it lifts its skirt and takes off nicely. In something that weighs a biggest loser episode less than the pajero it would feel like a saturn 5 rocket.
Not sure how a bum dragger handles 350 low down torques. The Front tyres would have the lifespan of a gnat.
You can not help but love the Golf. With tax and stamp duty benifits comming into play i think most die hard Golf lovers wont mind the diesel rattle under the bonnent.
and with numerous changes under the bonnet to reduce noise and countless changes everywhere else to reduce noise, that rattle will be just about unnoticeable.
Tires, well yes, drive to exploit the potential of this car and you will be changing those continentals much sooner rather than later.
The ingear acceleration of these things is brilliant. Overtaking is like a beefy v6.
It can haul a heavy load with little change to fuel consumption.
How about a Polo with that engine? Pocket Rocket potential there too! And closer to my affordability! Are we getting Sirocco here?
Sam, the Scirocco may well be a tale of lost love for Australian buyers. VW Australia say they are trying to bring the car here, but claim there are problems securing the car from the Fatherland at the right price point for our market.
Thought it would have more torque. somewhere around 400nm
There you go.. the version I was waiting for for Mk VI =)
I like the charcoal gray, its much more subdued, but yet still very handsome. Considering the GT TDI is the bigger seller between the GT models (of Mk V), I don’t see why VW AU shouldn’t bring this one in.
It’d make me happy at least =p
Damn nice looking car with a solid, grunty diesel engine. Just need to ease it off the line in first gear and then once you’re moving you can sink the right foot as the torque will just slingshot it along. I test drove the MK V GT diesel and it felt like a large capacity V6 with it’s torque.
What is with VWs choice of wheels on the Golf? Between these and the GTi they look terrible.
The Skoda Octavia RS TDi is also an alternative, sharing identical engine/drivetrain combinations.
Eaton there are two things that put me of the GTD.
1. there is no red trim.
2. the fact that the signature GTi wheels are gone. I absolutely love those circle wheels
Nice car and i also drove the Diesel golf a week ago. it pulls like a bloody V6. Good on VW for makin some good quality fun on wheels that are affordable and attractive.
Haha, Trackdaze, it’s not that the Golf has a great 2.0 TDI, rather the Pajero effort is relatively poor.
I was going to buy a Pajero TDI but the unbelievablyy long saga of the DPF in the autos lost them the sale – I kept the Jackaroo and added a Golf GTI to the stable instead :)
O, the Denvers on the GTI are definitely a signature – and you can’t call it a GTi because it’s a GTI. I like mine a lot.
Forgot to add, Hyundai has left the Japanese waaaaayyyy behind in diesels, and has their nose in level or just in front of the Euros as well. Check here http://www.hyundai.com.au/Hyun.....fault.aspx and here http://www.caradvice.com.au/18.....sel-range/
then do a search on the twin turbo 2.2l version of it they are developing – 158 kW and 461 Nm.
Really does shame the 3.2l Mitsu donk only a paltry 147kw and 373Nm with a lot of clatter. The newest version is an improvement over the older variants.
Another boring Volkswagen
Another car that the world does not need
Why don’t you put My motor in all your cars. My motor don’t use any fule. It run on electrons, protons and neutrons and control by super conductors and a small computor. No oil change and no fule of any kind, and it is green. No pollution at all. It will run indefinitly and no maintenance. And your big cars are safer then your little car!
Those wheels are disgracefull!
Nice grunty diesel, that would probably be quicker than
the current GTI for in gear acceleration.
But you can already buy this car with heaps more luggage
capacity in the Skoda RS.
To Harley Stone – And why does the world not need this car? And how can you call it boring? Nobody has driven it yet. I think it will be quite fun like most Volkswagens. Try and back up your comment if you want but I think you’ll have a hard time.
Nice Reckless, here i am standing at the trough and you wet my shoes.
I might be in the minority but i’m a fan of the diesel clatter, almost like a panting dog ready for work. admittidly the clatter makes more sense in 4×4. I chose the pajero for the whole vehicle not just the engine. No hyundai,audi no matter how good the engine is would have fitted the bill.
That’s why the Golfs such a good car. Its not one thing its all.
Yo Alex ,
that Golf VI ( repeat VI ) is on sale here for a while and well known.
It doesn’t offer anything special over the “old” Golf V except some
slight refinement of the design. Sales are lousy over here.
The last real GOLF was GOLF I – they’ve spoilt the good initial
concept and basic idea ever since, made it bigger, fatter, heaver
each generation – and more xpensive.
The new POLO, coming soon, in fact will be the
better GOLF and cannibalize a lot the grandma-GOLF sales.
OK, a foolish purest. I shoudln’t have bothered.
Hardly known – what are you on. Just a guess but things have moved on since 1974.
As for this GTD thing – only a revhead fool would buy the petrol version over this. It is a better performer all round, OK it might not get to 100kays as quick but the in gear stuff is far more satisfying.
@ Alex
thanks – not at all . as the details abt the VI became known here, people ordered the V like mad as long as possible. VW had to run extra shifts for it.
Forget about the VI and better wait for the VII to come quite soon.
Why wait? Every reviewer is saying that this one is more fun, better quality and more refined. It’s not some acceptable job to cut costs, they have brought the new model in sooner and VW makes more profit on them. What’s the problem? I think you’ll find that this time the Golf will be around for a solid six or seven years so there’s no need at all to wait.
Typical of most reviewers and probably most car fans. Car “performance” starts and ends with 0 – 100km/h times! Try the 70 – 120km/h sprint, (far more relevant to road driving), and the GTD will kill the GTI.
Well I adore my GT TDI, and it made stepping out of a BA GT quite painless given the grunt factor. This thing goes far far better than a diesel deserves to, and I can play with machines that should be well above a weezy diesel. In manual form, even having to swap a lot of cogs, it can still play in a straight line from standstill. Just amazing.
With the new engine being the more efficient common rail, I’d be expecting big things. Diesel power all comes down the the injection control, and CR is a definate plus there.
Don’t like it, don’t buy it! Duh!
Not far off performancewise what a 70’s supercar use to do.
Think about where we will be in 10 years time…
Cheers,
F-0