Leapin' Leipzig! Volkswagen Golf GTD details and photos released
by Jeremy Korzeniewski on Mar 27th 2009 at 12:28PM 
2010 Volkswagen Golf GTD - Click above for a high res gallery
Volkswagen is set to introduce the world to its new Volkswagen Golf GTD at the Leipzig Motor Show in Germany. What we have here is the basic GTI package, except that the wonderful gas-powered 2.0-liter turbo engine that powers VW's latest hot hatch has been yanked in favor of a new high-performance turbo diesel engine (also displacing 2.0 liters) that offers up 168 horsepower and, just as importantly, about 260 lb-ft of torque. VW says the new drivetrain package is enough to scoot the new GTD to 60 mph in about eight seconds. European combined fuel economy is rated at 44.4 mpg (U.S.) with CO2 emissions of 139 g/km.
On the outside, the GTD features all of the exterior differentiation of the GTI, except that the red exterior accents are now done in chrome. Step inside, and you'll be greeted with VW's signature plaid seating surfaces, though the red fabrics and stitching are now done in light grey. German sales of the GTD will begin in May, with the rest of Europe likely following shortly thereafter. So far, there's no official word on whether the GTD is coming to America, but signs point to "Yes." Press release after the break.
Gallery: 2010 Volkswagen Golf GTD
[Source: Volkswagen]
PRESS RELEASE:
Key Aspects: The New Golf GTD – World Premiere in Leipzig
5.3 liter fuel economy and 222 km/h redefine the idea of sportiness
New Golf GTD with 170-PS TDI: Advance sales begin early May
GTD and new GTI are conceptual soulmates
Wolfsburg / Leipzig, 27 March 2009 - After the Polo, the BlueMotion offensive and the Golf GTI, Volkswagen is pulling the next arrow out of its quiver: this time it is the Golf GTD. It is extremely fuel efficient yet exceedingly sporty, and it is debuting as a world premiere at the Auto Mobil International in Leipzig (March 28 to April 05). The GTD code letters carry on a tradition: the first Golf GTD appeared back in 1982 – it was the GTI among diesels. Now Volkswagen has perfected the various aspects of sportiness. The new Golf GTD with its 125 kW / 170 PS is aimed at all diesel fans who value a maximum in dynamic performance. This is where the GTD shows a clear affinity to the new GTI (155 kW / 210 PS). While the GTI is in its own league with an efficient turbo gasoline engine that offers the same performance as far more expensive sports cars, the Golf GTD is making its appearance with phenomenal fuel economy. Every 100 kilometers, just 5.3 liters of fuel flow through the piezo injection valves of the common rail engine that can hardly be pegged as a diesel. That is equivalent to CO2 emissions of just 139 g/km. This contrasts with a top speed of 222 km/h and 8.1 seconds for the sprint to 100 km/h.
Range of about 1,000 kilometer
As on the GTI, the GTD's 6-speed manual transmission may be swapped out for an optional 6-speed DSG – which in the eyes of many experts is the most efficient automatic of our times. The Golf GTD with DSG reaches a top speed of 220 km/h; it accelerates to 100 km/h in 8.1 seconds and consumes 5.6 liters diesel on average (147 g/km CO2). These low fuel consumption values take both GTD variants to distances of about 1,000 kilometers on one tank of fuel (55 liters).
The GTD equipped with standard sport chassis and 17-inch alloy wheels ("Seattle" type) bears a close relationship to the GTI, in its highly agile handling properties as well as in its parallels in appearance and features.
GTD exterior
The exterior clearly indicates that this is the sportiest Golf with a diesel engine. Take the front end, for example: the bumper, radiator grille and headlights are a 1:1 match with the GTI. However, the red horizontal stripes in the radiator grille are styled in chrome on the GTD. At the rear, the turbo-diesel sports a modified diffuser. Even though no GTD emblem comes with the car purchase, the diesel version of the Golf can be recognized by its dual chrome tailpipes on the left side of the diffuser (the GTI has one tailpipe on the left and one on the right).
GTD sound
Sound – sporty sound – has not traditionally been a particular strength of diesel engines. However, the GTD's new common rail engine is different. Since it no longer has a superimposed "hammering" sound that was previously typical of diesels, engineers were able to fine tune its acoustics for the first time. This is accomplished by a special sound generator, which outputs a sonorous tone, especially in the lower engine speed range. The electromagnetic sound generator evaluates engine speed, momentary power demand and vehicle speed data obtained via the car's CAN bus and tunes the engine sound that can be heard in the interior.
GTD interior
Volkswagen's GT philosophy is also reflected in the interior. It expresses itself in standard high-end sport seats, a 3-spoke leather steering wheel whose curvature flattens at the bottom (GTD signature in the center chrome badge), leather parking brake lever and leather gearshift boot with stitching in contrasting color. However, unlike in the GTI the color is not red but light gray. The same applies to the sport seats in "Jacky" pattern: The color chosen for the flat-felled seams are an elegant light gray ("Art Grey") instead of red ("Flash Red"). The seats themselves are styled in a "Black-White" color combination.
GTD safety and convenience
Other standard features of the Golf GTD include details such as a black roofliner and black roof pillar trim, special interior accents, seven airbags including knee airbag on the driver's side, automatic climate control ("Climatronic"), front fog lights with chrome framing, daytime running lights, ESP, a winter package (with heated windshield washer nozzles, heated front seats, headlight cleaning system and low washer fluid indicator light) and the RCD 210 radio system. Nonetheless, the most important component of standard GTD equipment is still the Common Rail TDI with 170 PS being used in the Golf for the first time.
TDI technology in detail
The 1,968 cm3 displacement engine is from a new TDI generation. It delivers its maximum power at 4,200 rpm. The engine – as sporty as it is fuel efficient – develops its 350 Newton-meter maximum torque between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm. Its specific torque is 177.8 Newton-meter per liter engine displacement. The upshot is that in practically any driving situation, the sixteen-valve four-cylinder engine offers power equivalent to that of a six-cylinder sports car engine.
About the technology: Fuel induction is handled by a common rail system. Fuel injection pressures of up to 1,800 bar and special eight-hole injection nozzles achieve exceptionally fine atomization of the diesel fuel. The eight-hole injection nozzles are driven by what are known as piezo in-line injectors. In this process, electrically controlled piezo crystals – boosted by hydraulics – initiate injection in fractions of a second. Compared to conventional solenoid valves, piezo technology enables more flexible injection processes with smaller and more precisely metered quantities of fuel. The results are a very quiet and pleasantly soft running engine, exceptionally quick response and the excellent fuel economy and emissions values already mentioned.
Another feature having a positive effect on the car's acoustics is the maintenance-free toothed timing belt for the camshaft. The conversion to common rail technology and many other acoustic measures, such as a noise-damping film in the windshield, make the new Golf GTD one of the quietest diesel models in its class. In addition, the GTD will fulfill limits of the Euro-5 emissions standard. Advance sales of the Golf GTD in Germany will already begin in early May. And the prospects for a successful market launch look good. Because this sporty Volkswagen fits in perfectly with our times.
Note:
All data and equipment contained in this press release apply to models offered in Germany. They may differ in other countries. All information is subject to change or correction.
TDI, TSI, DSG and Twincharger are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG or other companies of the Volkswagen Group in Germany and other countries.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Farris 12:37PM (3/27/2009)
"rated at 44.4 mph (U.S.)"
You may want to fix that.
Also: That looks stunning. I haven't really been a huge fan of the Mk 5s, but the Mk6s look much better (at least in the headlight region).
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Cole 1:46PM (3/27/2009)
My Vr6 12v gets 24/31 mpg and I bounce off the rev limiter all day long. This GTD has almost the same HP but 40% more torque with better gas mileage and rock solid TDI durability.
I can haz my cake and eat too?
I am Rich 12:38PM (3/27/2009)
Pictured with car are the two hookers before they go in the trunk.
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the_MVP_X 12:38PM (3/27/2009)
Yawn..... what?
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MikeofLA 12:42PM (3/27/2009)
"The seats fold down to accomadate more 'bulky' items."
Also, No trunk, it's a hatch.
Mazda FTW! 12:40PM (3/27/2009)
"that offers up 168 horsepower and, just as importantly, about 260 lb-ft of torque. VW says the new drivetrain package is enough to scoot the new GTD to 60 mph in about eight seconds."
So is this the Canon Rebel XS to the Canon Rebel XSi (GTI)?
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MikeofLA 12:42PM (3/27/2009)
Wrong person to reply to. Sorry... meant for I am Rich
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Wobbly_ears 12:56PM (3/27/2009)
Am I wrong to say that I like the models more than the nerdy VW?
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StanleyVanBuren 12:58PM (3/27/2009)
Well this should be awesome. I own a MKV GTI here in the states and recently drove an Audi A3 (3-door) with the 2.0TDI over in Europe -- this looks like it'll basically be a combination of the two. The sheer grunt of torque from the diesel engine makes it pretty enjoyable to drive even though it doesn't rev as high as the gasoline counterpart.
With pretty similar power and much better mileage, the diesel is a no-brainer.
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nardvark 1:19PM (3/27/2009)
Hm, interesting. Does this thing need any weird fluids like urea to be used over here?
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Carlos 1:29PM (3/27/2009)
I would kill to have this car here!
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Kumar 2:15PM (3/27/2009)
While I like the GTI plaid seats better, the grey/black combo looks ok too.
Hopefully that "GTD sound" device is meant to cancel the sound instead of make it sound 'sporty' and annoying.
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snakesausage 2:40PM (3/27/2009)
Since this is just a hotted up version of the 140hp... If they need urea for 170hp then you use the urea tank level sensor to change the tuning program to the already certified 140hp until you refill. Cake•Eat
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teamkitty 2:50PM (3/27/2009)
Snakesausage, can you explain what you mean more clearly? I'm curious, but I can't follow how the urea tank level has anything to do with the tune of the engine...
PeterG 5:20PM (3/27/2009)
Hey. Good idea.
IIRC some other cars just plain won't run if you are out of Urea, which makes no sense at all.
But no way are they bringing the 170HP version to USA. Re-certification and Urea likelihood puts this off the table IMO. Especially since you are really chasing a small niche for the extra amount to certify the new tune.
snakesausage 5:35PM (3/27/2009)
My point is that if they wanted to bring the 170hp version (assuming that it would need urea as some have postulated) they could use a bi-modal ECU program, one mode for a filled urea tank that would make 170hp and another for the "normal" 140hp operation that does not need urea.
Scenario1: You like the styling and suspension of the GTD but you do not think that you would need the extra power or the expense and hassle of filling the urea tank then you could buy the GTD and just not fill the urea tank. Your engine would be de-tuned to make less hp and fewer emissions.
Scenario2: If you want the extra power and do not mind the expense and hassle you would fill the urea tank and the engine would automatically switch to the new program on the next restart. You engine would make 170hp and need the urea exhaust after treatment for the added emissions.
Kumar 10:50AM (3/28/2009)
Interesting idea, but no doubt too complicated for the average driver to have to deal with urea or not. It would be cool if you had a toggle to go econo if that were implemented though. Extra sippy on the highway. ;)
I think VW will definitely bring this before the Rabbit/Golf standard TDI. There's around $8-10k more in it for them to do so by wrapping it up an GTD packaging. I see no reason why we wouldn't see a GLD type Jetta either then, for those out there that must have a trunk.
If VW can get away with selling economy minded diesels as well as higher performance diesels, we all win.
Nick 3:01PM (3/27/2009)
I'd be willing to sacrifice a little of that gas mileage for a little more get-up-and-go...you know?
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CB 3:06PM (3/27/2009)
then get the GTI :)
dukeisduke 3:12PM (3/27/2009)
Judging by the dresses the models are wearing, VW wanted us to look at the *car*.
And check out the tachometer with its 5000rpm redline. Wind it out, baby!
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