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As the new GTI
hits the road for the first time
its sister car has been unveiled
at the Leipzig Motor Show: the
new diesel-powered Golf GTD.
The ability to
accelerate to 62 mph in 8.1
seconds and a top speed of 136
mph are combined with average
fuel consumption of 53.3 mpg and
a range in excess of 650 miles
on a single tank of fuel to
create a hot hatch of the
moment.
Lessons learned
through the creation of the
sixth generation GTI are applied
to the new GTD. Sharp responses
and an agile chassis complement
the car’s substantial torque
which is available from as low
as 1,750 rpm.
Powering the new
GTD is a refined 2.0-litre
(1,968 cc) common rail TDI
engine, producing 170 PS and 258
lbs ft of torque. Driving
through a six-speed manual or
automatic DSG gearbox, this
translates to effortless
performance with CO2
emissions of just 139 g/km.
Maintaining the
sharp responses expected of the
GTD is suspension lowered by 15
mm when compared to the standard
Golf. In addition, Volkswagen’s
innovative Adaptive Chassis
Control system (ACC), featuring
pneumatically controlled damper
units, can be specified on the
GTD. This allows the driver to
select from normal, comfort or
sport modes to define the
desired suspension, steering and
accelerator response settings
for any particular journey.
The Golf GTD’s
appearance will differ
significantly from that of the
standard Golf’s. It gains the
GTI’s honeycomb grille,
badge-style and front-end
design, though with the addition
of chrome rather than red
highlights. At the back, full
body-coloured bumpers make the
GTD appear lower and wider than
it really is, while the Golf’s
standard wheels are replaced
with unique 17-inch ‘Seattle
Black’ alloys. Inside, the main
contact points are unique to the
Golf GTD – a flat-bottomed
steering wheel, a GTD gearshift
and a standard tartan interior.
The tartan finish is subtly
different from that in the GTI,
being grey, white and black,
rather than red, white and
black.
As with the
entire Golf range, the new GTD
will feature class-leading
levels of safety with ABS, ESP
(Electronic Stabilisation
Programme) and seven airbags,
including for the first time a
knee airbag, all standard. The
Golf was recently awarded a
maximum five-star rating by the
EuroNCAP crash testing agency.
UK buyers will be
able to order a Golf GTD from
the end of April. Prices are
yet to be confirmed but will
start at under £22,000.
News provided by
www.scirocconet.co.uk
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