Our VW Golf GTD arrives

IT BRINGS ‘BIG CAR’ TECHNOLOGY TO THE POPULAR COMPACT HATCH BACK CLASS As part of our longterm test fleet, we will be bringing regular updates on it.

For the first time in South Africa, we have finally been offered the VW Golf GTD, which is basically a clone of the ever-popular VW Golf GTI but fitted with a high-performance turbodiesel engine. And I am very pleased to announce that we are welcoming an Indium Grey model to our Citizen Motoring long-term test fleet.

Turbodiesel VWs have always been popular, right from the good old days of the giant-slaying threedoor Polo TDI to the super fuel efficient, lesser powerful TDIs in the rest of the VW range of vehicles.

And with over 350 000 Golfs sold in South Africa since its launch four decades ago, this updated version of the seventh generation Golf, fondly known as the Golf 7.5, has once again redefined its market segment by bringing “big car” technology to the compact hatch back class.

The Golf GTD is SA’s only true performance turbodiesel with a claimed 0-100km/h of 7.4 seconds and a top speed of 230 km/h. Maybe more importantly for everyday use, this hot hatch can get between 80 and 120 km/h in a mere 7.5 seconds in fifth gear, while sipping under 7.0 litres of 50 PPM diesel for every 100km travelled on average so far.

The car is driven by a six-speed DSG gearbox and an entirely new four-cylinder TDI of the EA288 series, which is a 2.0-litre transversely mounted engine with common rail direct injection.

This powerplant delivers 130 kW at 3 600 to 4 000 rpm, and a substantial 350 Nm of easy freeway cruising torque between Odo reading start: .......... 1 046km Odo reading now: ........... 1 839km Distance covered: .............. 793km Fuel consumed: ......... 54,30 litres Total fuel cost: ................... R735,77 Ave consumption: .......................... ............................... 6,85 litres / 100km

Ave cost / km: ....................... R0,93 1 500 and 3 500 rpm.

This performance model also creates new benchmarks for assistance systems in the compact hatch back class, by employing technologies that significantly improve safety.

These will all be discussed in more detail in our monthly updates of our time with the Golf GTD, but it does include the likes of optional Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert as well as Adaptive Cruise Control with Front Assist and Autonomous Emergency Braking System.

The VW Golf GTD retails from R509 400 and comes standard with a five-year/90 000km Service Plan.