This is the new Golf GTD And you have to look carefully to the chrome grille, the alloys and the position of the exhausts pipes… … in order not to think this is the GTI. Visually it’s still a very atractive car … … because it has all the elements to be differentiated from a standard Golf… … but without being too much flashy. Here you can breathe a pleasant atmosphere. Seats are comfortable and hold adequately your body, there’s enough space for 4 adults, and the standard equipment provides you with everything … … you will expect from a modern vehicle, such as frontal, side and knee airbags, xenon headlights with active curve illumination, automatic climate control and a USB plug to connect with the audio system, which is tactile and it’s very easy to use. This is all very nice, but where the GTD really stands out is when driving. So, I think it’s time to go. The chassis has many similarities with the GTI … like the 17-inch alloys, the same size of tyres and front brakes …And a lower suspension compared to the rest of the Golf range. On the contrary, it does’t get the XDS electronic limited-slip differential … and the suspension layout is less sporty than the GTI. That translates into a more comfortable car, a more stable rear-end, less playful … but at the same time, this means that the GTD … is a little bit less agile and precise than the GTI. Anyhow, this does’t mean that the GTD is a boring car. Far from it, becuase it’s very predictible, easy to control … and it’s able to fulfill the sports expectations of most drivers. The problem is that when we push the car to the limits …… the GTI is in another league, the GTI is a true sport car … and the GTD doesn’t. One mayor responsible for this feeling … … is the engine mounted at the front. It’s the vey famous 2.0 TDI diesel with 170 hp, the same that you can see in many other models of the VW group. And it’s fast, quite fast, because it does 0-100 Km/h in 8 seconds … and its top speed is 220 Km/h. It’s mated to a 6-speed gearbox … … but you can also buy the DSG transmission by 1.700 Ç. The thing is, like the majority of the modern vehicles … things under the bonnet are very boring.Therefore, let’s continue driving. The engine is powerful and very flexible, but it has the same problem of all diesel engines: the operating revs range is very narrow … and the gear ratios are a bit too long … which is very
good if you want to save fuel … but it isn’t when you want to drive in sport mode. However, as I have said before, these problems only occur … when we push the car to the limits. We can consider the GTD as the best Golf of them all, because it shares all the positive aspects of his brothers … with a performance / consumption ratio almost insuperable. And then there is the price, which is… well here is the big problem. It cost more than 28.000 Ç, and that puts it very close to the Golf GTI price. Then, which is the one to choose. Well, it depends. If you are a fan of curves and twisty roads … your choice has to be the GTI. But if you’re going to drive the car everyday … and some weekend you go in search of a winding road … then, the best option for yout is the GTD. See you! .
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