First Drive: 2014 Volkswagen Golf GTD

Story by John LeBlanc TERGENSEE, GERMANY – In the basement of his Hershey, Penn., home in 1928, candymaker H. B. Reese got the crazy idea of putting together two different confections — chocolate and peanut butter — into one candy. Lo and behold, Reese’s peanut butter cup was born. Fast forward more than a half century later to the German town of Wolfsburg, where the engineers at Volkswagen came up with a similarly dichotic concoction — the Golf GTD — a blending of diesel engine frugality with fun-to-drive Golf GTI parts. While Europeans have been able to buy the frugal-but-fun Golf GTD since 1982, Canadians never have. But that may change. Volkswagen Canada brought a handful of scribes here to the south of Germany to get some input on the feasibility of a Canadian-market Golf GTD when the seventh-generation Golf arrives in Canada next year. After a day driving both manual and automatic  versions of the European-spec 2014 Golf GTD, it’s hard to find a reason why Canadian buyers wouldn’t eat up the peanut butter cup of compacts. To recap, the new generation of Golf two and four-door hatchbacks went on sale in Europe last fall. Volkswagen is in the process of moving the current North American Golf production from Germany to Mexico (where the Beetle, Jetta and Golf Wagon are already built), which is one of the reasons Canadian versions of the new Golf won’t start arriving until about one year from now. Adding a turbocharger to the Golf’s diesel engine in the original GTD saw a bump in horsepower from 53 to 69, which was heady stuff for 1982. Today, the new GTD’s 2.0L turbodiesel is rated at 181 hp and 280 pound-feet of torque, gains of 33 and 44, respectively, over the regular TDI’s engine. The new Golf GTI still handily beats the new GTD from zero to 100 km/h (6.4 seconds compared to 7.5). But for everyday driving, the Golf GTD’s extra 22 lb-ft is quite noticeable. Stoplight grand prixs aside, the main reason to consider a Golf GTD over a GTI is better fuel economy. The six-speed manual gearbox GTD’s 4.2 L/100 km combined European cycle rating (4.5 with the dual-clutch automatic) handily betters the GTI’s 6.0/6.4 estimates. But the combination of the TDI engine and the GTI fun-to-drive parts makes for an appealingly rational sports compact choice. Outside, the Golf GTD gets the same bi-xenon headlights and cornering lights, front fascia with the distinctive side gills, side sills, 18-inch alloy wheels and a rear spoiler as per the new Golf GTI. Look hard though, and the various chrome GTD badges — and the lack of the GTI’s signature red pin striping in the front— are giveaways you’re in the diesel version of sporty Golfs. Inside, the GTI’s tartan cloth sport seats, multifunction leather-trimmed, flat-bottomed sport steering are also found in the GTD. As well, on manual gearbox Golf GTDs, there’s a new version of the GTI’s iconic golf ball gearshift knob. Slot that gearshift into first, engage the clutch, and the GTD’s 22 lb-ft of extra torque over the new GTI moves the compact hatch away with ease. But when the road starts to turn, the GTD will make you forget there’s a diesel underfoot. The Golf GTD’s handling benefits from a lowered and stiffened sports suspension and an upgraded version of Volkswagen’s XDS limited-slip differential-like traction control system that works on all four of the GTD’s wheels instead of just the front as per other new Golfs. Sturdier brakes and a quicker variable-ratio steering system are also borrowed from the GTI. Winding through the Bavarian Alps, the GTD’s chassis delivers both comfort and agility. Because of the turbodiesel’s near-flat torque curve, GTD drivers don’t need to max its redline on every shift to keep up a spirited pace. But once up to speed, the car delivers a near-GTI-like experience in the way it corners flat without untoward body movements. We’re about a year away from getting an idea on Canadian pricing for any of the new-generation Golfs. But based on European pricing, the GTD splits the difference between a Golf TDI and GTI, I'm guessing it will start here at around $27,500. With the existing GTI and TDI versions of its Golf, Volkswagen already has a unique proposition in the compact car class. But the concept of a sports compact hatch that can also be a relaxed, fuel-miser seems like a slam-dunk to me. Maybe the answer to the question if the new Golf GTD should come to Canada can be seen in Europe: In a normal year, apparently VW sells twice as many GTDs as GTIs.

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