The very first diesel car I drove was an Opel Vectra 1.7D when it was brand new back in 1990. I was still pretty new to driving at the time and my experience was limited to a Ford Fiesta 1.1 LX, a Subaru Signet (with a 700cc two-cylinder engine) and a wedge-shaped Honda Civic 1.3 with a five-speed gearbox, so I wasn't quite the high-performance junkie I am today, but when I pulled out onto what was then the main Cork to Dublin road I was appalled to find that the only thing the right pedal did was make more smoke. The gap I'd pulled into would have been no problem for the Fiesta or Civic but the Vectra just sat there, rattling and coughing out soot, while a huge truck quickly filled my rear-view mirror. It wasn't just slow and dirty, it was also loud, rattly and slow to start. It was, and possibly still is, the worst thing I'd ever driven and I swore there and then I'd never drive another diesel again.
The past two decades have been kind to diesel power, though. Its inherent efficiency means that it has risen to prominence amongst cost-conscious Europeans, propelled by the carbon-dioxide frenzy of the past few years, but its superior torque characteristics mean that diesel cars have often been more satisfying to drive than their petrol-powered cousins, regardless of what the on-paper performance figures might suggest. But nobody has really had the balls to go all out and make a diesel performance car yet. At the recent 5-Series launch I asked engineers about the possibility of an M5 diesel and they sniggered dismissively at the suggestion. We're not quite there yet, I guess. But we're close.
Granted, the
Volkswagen GTD's on-paper performance doesn't make for particularly scintillating reading: its 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine produces an acceptable 170hp and 350Nm, which is enough for an 8.1 second 0-100km/h time and a respectable top speed of 222km/h, but the GTI's broader rev range and 210hp/280Nm output makes for a better 6.9-second 0-100km/h sprint and an autobahn-munching 238km/h. But to drive the diesel feels faster, and I'm not just talking about back roads either, it also feels quicker around Mondello Park.
The day we took the
Golf GTD out on the short National track was particularly wet and slippery but the chassis' sharpness, predictability and communicativeness meant it scooted around as sure-footedly as the GTI. However, because of its stout rev-range and intelligent gearing, it was much easier to exploit and much less likely to break into spontaneous wheelspin than the GTI. And it's a pattern that's repeated out the open road, where the GTD's front suspension, slightly less stiff and slightly higher, feels even more at home on Ireland's pock-marked roads. The GTD's engine even has a gruff, sporty tone, which is something I certainly wasn't expecting. And if all that wasn't enough, it's also €2,000 cheaper to buy, better looking (no red stripes or garish telephone-dial wheels here) and cheaper to run (Band B versus Band D) than the GTI. It's taken two full decades but I think I've finally forgiven the diesel engine for nearly killing me. The GTD is so good, I'd have one before the GTI and that, believe me, is saying a lot!
Volkswagen Golf GTDEngine: 1,968cc, turbo-diesel 4-cyl
Power @ rpm: 170hp@4,200, 350Nm@1,750
Transmission: 6-speed manual FWD
Acceleration: 0-100km/h 8.1 seconds
Top speed: 222km/h
Economy: 5.3l/100km
CO2 emissions: 139g/km
CO2 Tax Band: B (€156 p.a.)
Weight: 1,329kg
Boot capacity: 350l min, 1,305l max
Base Price: €32,435 (5-door)
Price As Tested: €33,077
For: Handling, price, looks
Against: Give it 200hp, VW!
Rating: 9/10