► Warmed-up diesel wagon for Golf
► 181bhp and 280lb ft of torque
► Shows growing importance of GTD over GTI
Following in the gently smoking tyre tracks of the Golf R Estate, Volkswagen is hatching another hotted-up wagon as suited to conquering B-roads as it is Ikea. This time it’s a diesel: the VW Golf GTD estate.
VW Golf GTD Estate: the stats
This is the first time VW’s applied the GTD badge to an estate. The wagon will pack the same 2.0-litre 181bhp TDI powerplant as the hatch, with a muscular 280lb ft of torque on tap.
Unlike the 4wd Golf R estate the GTD powers its front wheels only, but will still get from 0-62mph in a brisk 7.9 seconds. That’s four tenths slower than the hatch owing to slightly porkier kerb weight (the ordinary 1.2 TSI S Golf Estate weighs around 160kg more than the three-door hatch), but with the same wheelbase handling should be similarly assured and polished.
Boot space won’t change from the regular Golf estate, so that’s 605 litres with the seats up (100 more than the Golf hatch) and 1620 litres with them down. For context, that’s more than a Ford Focus estate but less than a Skoda Octavia wagon.
Presumably it’s really good on fuel?
Volkswagen’s claiming 64.2mpg combined, although that’s a provisional figure for now. By comparison, the hatch’s figure is 67mpg. No word on CO2 emissions for now.
Engine aside, what differentiates the GTD from an ordinary Golf TDI estate?
On the outside, similarly angry-looking, honeycomb-grilled bumpers to the hatch, smoked tail-lights and chunkier sills. They’re topped off by thin-spoked 17-inch alloys and black roof rails. Inside, GTI-style tartan seats, stainless steel pedals and a golf ball gearknob. The car pictured here has the ‘Sports and Design package’, which adds 18-inch alloys, red brake calipers and tinted windows.
As for the non-visual stuff, the ride height’s been lowered by 15mm and a progressive steering rack’s been fitted, which means you’ll need to twirl the wheel less when attacking a favourite road.
When does the Golf GTD Estate go on sale?
In the UK, April. Watch this space for UK specs and prices. In the meantime, the car gets its world debut at the 2015 Geneva motor show in March.
Click here to read the VW Golf GTD hatchback review.