The Mk5 Golf had a 170 PS hot diesel version powered by a 2.0 litre TDI diesel engine and it shared the twincharged 1.4 TSI petrol version’s Golf GT nameplate.
With the Mk6, Volkswagen brings back the GTD nameplate first used in 1982 for the fast oil burning counterpart to the Golf GTI, this time also with 170 PS and 350Nm of torque this time from as low as 1,750rpm – the Mk5 GT diesel started from 1,900rpm.
When driven sedately, it sips only 5.6 litres of fuel per 100km when equipped with the 6-speed DSG twin clutch transmission (a 6-speed manual is also available), but if you really hammer the accelerator it hits 100km/h in 8.1 seconds, and a top speed of 222km/h (220 in the DSG).
Now while most diesel engines have more than enough horses and torque to justify being used in a sporty variant, the kind of sounds they put out doesn’t really compel you to wind down the windows when you storm through the Smart tunnel, etc.
Volkswagen actually uses a sound generator to modify the sound of the engine that is heard in the interior, especially at the low ends of the RPM range. Interesting.
Look at a whole photo gallery after the jump.
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
omg oil burner??
awesome car of a great legacy….funny though..with its high torque and power…I expect the top speed and acceleration to be better…probably the weight…
The new Gold just gets more and more interesting.
delicious.
Performance + Economy = Happiness
I mean, what more could a motorist ask for?
Great~! but what is this sound generator?? sounds cheap and wanna be. Uploaded Lamborghini.mp3 in it? XD
SCHWEET~!
acceleration may be not as good as you'd imagine because oil burners have a smaller band (usually in the low rpms) where all the torque is available.
but 0-100 in 8.1s from a 2.0 diesel (that produces 170bhp!!) is pretty impressive already.
for comparison, a decently tuned 2.0 petrol (non turbo) should put out around 150 to 155bhp.
kudos to vw!