It’s been around for longer than most cars, has won plaudits for engineering, style, trend setting design and top class marketing. You would not be blamed for thinking that VW may well be running out of ideas to keep the Golf range current and competitive against the raft of newer models that have entered the market into which the Golf drove some years ago. You would be wrong.
In its latest guise the Golf, if anything looks sharper, offers a slicker drive and smoother performance than the outgoing model. It also seems to have a more quality look and feel to the materials compared to the outgoing model’s quality but rather lacklustre looking interior. Prices for the new range start from £14,075 and peak at £24,905 for the flagship 2.0 TSi with DSG gearbox. My test car though was the diesel version of the GTi, unsurprisingly badged the GTD, and priced from £23,015. My test car is priced at £24,345 but with options totted up to £27,300.
Mated to a super slick DSG automatic gearbox the 2.0 litre engine offers 170 PS translating into a top speed of 136 mph with the benchmark 62 mph passed in a whisker over 8 seconds. Maximum torque is an incredibly healthy 258 lb ft from just 1750 rpm. The 6-speed transmission offers the standard format of D for Drive and manual shifting either by the shift lever or paddles on the steering wheel. The box provides extremely quick and imperceptible changes even under hard acceleration. Economy is in the order of 50 mpg in combined driving.
At £730 extra the optional Adaptive Chassis Control fitted to the test car proved surprisingly effective – I’m usually rather sceptical of such things on anything but serious performance machines – with three modes – Comfort, Normal, Sport – changing the suspension settings.
Inside the GTD it is the usual ergonomically sound VW design but with a rather less grey and uniformly dull look and feel. Aluminium highlights adorn the facia, doors and steering wheel which allied to the high-back sports cloth seats make for a quality and sporting feel. The optional touchscreen sound system incorporating satellite navigation sits well in the centre console and is large enough to make for easy use, but even without this £2,225 option the quality look is feel is not watered down. The touchscreen system may be very expensive but it does offer every combination of navigation, sound and connectivity you could wish for.
Multi adjustable seating and a steering wheel adjustable for both reach and rake make for a pretty universally sound driving position with the controls falling comfortably to hand and operating in the way you expect. This may sound strange but so few cars these days offer simple, logical controls and even as a motoring anorak there are occasions when the handbook has to come out to work out exactly how to operate some aspect of the car. The VW is BMW-like in its ergonomics and logicality.
On the road the GTD is a sheer delight with a seemingly endless reserve of power delivered with aplomb even on the most twisting and rough country roads. The car really excels in its ability to potter through the urban environment in comfort and refinement, thrash along twisting cross country lanes or simply cruise long distances up a motorway.
It may be a touch on the expensive side but the old adage of you only get what you pay for was never more true than with the Golf GTD. Brilliant!
