New VW GTD now on sale 25 | 11 | 2020
THE EIGHTH-GENERATION of VW’s Golf GTD is available to order now, with prices starting at £32,790. At £670 less than the manual petrol GTI, that makes it the cheapest GT Golf in the current range. (Related: 2021 VW Golf R unveiled)
Not surprisingly, the GTD has been pitched as a long-distance cruiser rather than a blitzed of favourite B-roads. VW says it’s capable of covering 600 miles on a tank of fuel.
It does still though come with a decent amount of kit as standard, including the GTI’s 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and 8.25-inch infotainment system, LED honeycomb-design foglights, ‘IQ light' LED matrix headlights with automatic high-beam and an illuminated grille, and 18in alloy wheels are all standard. (Related: New VW Golf GTI starts at £33,460)
Also included are front sports seats, tri-zone climate control, keyless entry, heated and electrically folding mirrors with puddle lights, a heated leather steering wheel, an aluminium gear lever, and of course, the tartan upholstery … though it’s monochrome rather than the usual red. (Related: VW Golf GTI Clubsort gets 296bhp)
Externally the GTD shares the same bodykit as the GTI, though there are a couple of subtle differences. All the red detailing found on the GTI is replaced with dark grey, plus there’s a unique design for the standard 18in alloys. There’s also a single twin-exit exhaust tip which replaces the GTI’s dual-branch setup. (Related: 2020 VW Golf Estate)
Power comes from an updated version of the previous model’s turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, which now features a handful of efficiency tweaks. There’s also a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. VW says the GTD is capable of returning between 51.4–54.3mpg (WLTP).
Delivering 197bhp and 400Nm of torque — 16bhp and 20Nm brawnier than the model it replaces — it’ll cover 0–62mph in 7.1-seconds, and carry on to a top speed of 152mph. (Related: 2020 VW Golf prices and trims)
The latest GTD also gets a new catalytic converter system with twin ad-blue jets, which VW says has reduced emissions over the previous-generation GTD. The result is CO2 emissions of 137g/km, plus “significantly lower” nitrogen oxide emissions. (Related: First official look at VW ID.4 design)
The diesel T also benefits from the same chassis upgrades as the GTI, including a locking front differential, adaptive dampers that alter with the car’s suite of drive modes, plus 15mm lower sports suspension.
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Jim McGill