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As the new GTI hits the road for the first time its sister car has been unv iled at the Leipzig Motor Show: the new diesel-powered Golf GTD.
 
The ability to accelerate to 62mph in 8.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 136mph are cmbined with average fuel consumption of 53.3mpg and a range in excess of 650 miles on a single tank of fuel to create a hot hatch of the moment.

Volkswagen Scirocco

Performance and economy: the new Golf GTD

Lessons learned through the creation of the sixth-gener tion GTI are applied to the new GTD. Sharp responses and an agile chassis complement the car's substantial tor ue, which is available from as low as 1,750rpm.

 

Powering the new GTD is a refined 2.0-litre (1,968cc) common rail TDI engine, producing 170PS and 258lb ft of torque. Driving through a six-speed manual or automatic DSG gearbox, this translates to effortless performance with CO2 emissions of just 139g/km.  

 

Maintaining the sharp responses expected of the GTD is suspension lowered by 15mm 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 river 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 honey omb 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. The car will go on sale on 22 June - exactly one month after the first GTIs hit UK roads.