The Volkswagen Golf GTI is regarded as the King of the compact hot hatchbacks, but it has become pricey, so much so that it’s out of reach of many consumers. What if there was something cheaper that could offer a comparable ownership experience and most of the performance, but importantly, consume less fuel?
The Golf GTD is similarly styled to its GTI sibling, but it’s powered by a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine that produces 350 N.m of torque is mated with a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission. Volkswagen claims a brisk 0-100 kph time of 7.4 sec and a claimed fuel consumption of only 5.0 L/100 km. It sounds like the best of both worlds, but is it?
We take to the track with the GTD to see if it has enough GT to make up for the “D” (if you, like most enthusiasts, would prefer to have the “I”). Is this the thinking-person’s GTI, or a piecemeal car?
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