GOLF TDI FEATURES AUDI STYLE
Fuel- efficient hatchback great for those not put off by diesel
This week it was time for a round of Golf — no, I don’t mean chasing a little white ball around a lumpy field with a stick. I got to test drive the 2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI, VW’s popular hatchback with the diesel engine.
Although the golfing season was probably over for the year, it was a good time to revisit one of the longest putts in automobiles today. The VW Golf, previously known as the Rabbit for many years in North America, has been with us since 1974. Quick math tells me that’s 40 years — a milestone for any vehicle. The Golf has had this level of success for good reason.
The Golf is available as threedoor and five- door hatchbacks, including the sporty GTI version, and a five- door wagon. You also get a choice of 170- horsepower 1.8- litre TSI gasoline or 150- hp 2.0- litre TDI Clean Diesel engines and a 210- hp TSI engine if you choose the GTI. ( The TDI in TDI Clean Diesel stands for Turbocharged Direct Injection.)
What’s a clean diesel engine? The latest technology uses a urea- based liquid injection to lower emissions, along with particulate filters to scrub most of the soot from the exhaust. The other part of the “clean” equation is Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel oil. Yes, diesel fuel is a low- viscosity oil, unlike gasoline, which is much more volatile and is easily vaporized for combustion. That’s why gas evaporates and diesel doesn’t.
Looking at the exterior styling of the 2015 Golf TDI, I would say it is the best looking of the seven generations of Golfs/ Rabbits. The front end is clean and simple, with a distinctive VW family face. The grille slot is broken up in the middle with the iconic VW chrome badge, and the standard halogen headlights are now fitted with squared- off bulbs for a modern look. The lower grille opening is flanked by a pair of fog lights.
Besides a thin line of chrome in the grille and the badge, there is nothing superfluous on the front. Very Audi- esque. And the same goes for the side profile and rear of the Golf.
With this tester being a Highline model, above the base Trendline and Comfortline trims, the car rolls along on 17- inch aluminum alloy wheels fitted with 225/ 45R17 low- profile tires that fill the wheel arches quite nicely. The panoramic power roof is also a benefit of the Highline model.
Being part of the Audi family has done good things for the quality and design of the cabin interior. There can be no faulting of the logic and legibility of the instrumentation. If I can find one criticism, it is subjective: the dashboard and central console stack still errs on the side of conservatism rather than modern art, like an Audi product.
The TDI Multimedia Package, a $ 2,195 option, brings the Discover Media navigation system with its 5.8- inch touch screen and a very nice- sounding 400- watt Fender Premium Audio System with eight speakers and a sub- woofer. This optional package also includes LED daytime running lights and bi- xenon headlights with AFS ( Adaptive Front- light System).
The Highline adds sport seats with heating, and the driver’s side is 12- way power adjustable. I found plenty of room in all directions except one: headroom was minimal for my height ( 6- foot- 4), and the sliding panoramic sunroof took away a bit of space.
The diesel engine and its superior fuel mileage over the gasoline models is the make- or- break feature for the TDI, as most of the car — but not all — is virtually identical to the TSI version. The most obvious difference is the 150- hp 2.0- litre inline four- cylinder that is 20 hp less powerful but has 51 pound- feet more torque, at 236 lb.- ft.
The diesel model requires an additional reservoir tank for the AdBlue, the urea cleansing agent added to further reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions. This tank prevents the TDI from sharing the fully independent rear suspension with its Golf brethren; TDI models must get along with an older design, the torsion beam rear axle.
The 2015 Golf is fuel efficient, with a rating of 7.5 L/ 100 km city and 5.5 highway with the sixspeed DSG automatic transmission.
There are some caveats. You will discover that not all “gas” stations carry diesel fuel. Also, the TDI is $ 2,500 more expensive to purchase than the TSI. And the week I was testing the TDI, the price per litre of diesel was 20 cents more than gasoline.
The final insult at the fuelling station is the diesel stink left on your hand. I’ve never found a diesel pump that didn’t have spilled fuel on the handle and ground from truckers who are probably immune to the smell. Take gloves if you don’t want to smell like a train mechanic.
Driving the TDI should have been the same as driving the gasoline- powered model or the Passat TDI, but it was not. The engine response from a stop to 2,000 rpm, the normal driving range for the average person, was very flat. Once the engine passed the 2,000 mark it perked right up and had power.
I had the opportunity to testdrive the Passat TDI two weeks later and, with the same TDI engine and same transmission, the turbo lag was negligible.
The 2015 Golf is a great car; I’m just not as enamoured with the realities of diesel life. But perhaps the Passat TDI will redeem VW diesel technology for me.