TO D OR NOT TO D?(some text hidden)

By Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review word count: 65

There's something wholly satisfying about a powerful diesel engine in a smallish car and nothing really does that formula a whole lot better than Volkswagen's Golf GTD. It features GTI-type styling, tidy handling and now, a gutsy 200PS diesel engine under the bonnet that's far cleaner and more efficient than previous VW TDI units. Yet can still deliver hot hatch performance. And average over 50mpg.

Background word count: 135

"Diesel cars are better than they've ever been, but nobody's listening", one top industry executive told us recently. That may be true, but it hasn't stopped the Volkswagen Group from continuing to improve its black pump-fuelled technology. And here's a car, the Golf GTD, that demonstrates by just how much. At one point, with the success of the Golf GTE plug-in and the launch of the brand's ID.3 electric car, we wondered if the MK8 Golf range would bother to spawn its usual GTD high performance diesel derivative. But no, here it is, more appealing than ever to the right buyer prepared to pay a bit of a premium for a family hatch with high performance, a bit of extra class and a huge potential driving range. As ever, it's the thinking person's Golf GTI.

Driving Experience word count: 207

The engine's a bit of a star here, which is interesting because Volkswagen diesels haven't always been at the top of the tree when it comes to flexibility and refinement. It's still a 2.0-litre TDI unit, but don't make the mistake of assuming this to be carry-over engine from before. This is a completely redesigned and significantly more efficient EA288 evo series powerplant, with significantly more power (200PS as opposed to 184PS before) and a slug more torque too (400Nm rather than 380Nm before). And now, it can only be had mated to 7-speed DSG auto transmission. There's sports suspension lowered by 15mm - just like with a Golf GTI. When all that grunt is deployed, it'll get this Golf to 62mph from stationary in 7.1 seconds. And with a top speed of 152mph, it's not about to be found wanting on anything but the most ruthless section of derestricted autobahn either. A new driving dynamics control system known as the 'Vehicle Dynamics manager' also debuts with this MK8 Golf GTD. This controls the XDS torque vectoring system and the optional DCC adaptive chassis control adjustable dampers to achieve a greater perceived difference between the feel of the car in its comfort and more sportily-orientated drive settings.