It's by now a well-established cliché that automotive journalists have some peculiar ideas about the perfect vehicle—and it ain't a Ferrari or a Porsche. It is a car that combines car-like driving dynamics; space to haul the family; and reasonable fuel economy with excellent power. Yep, we're talking about a diesel-powered station wagon, one just like this new GTD Estate from Volkswagen. Curiously, this obviously peerless vehicle format has yet to capture the imagination of the average American buyer—which explains why VW is unveiling the GTD in Europe, where our strange automotive ideas are commonplace and real.
The regular GTD, for those not familiar with it, is essentially a (still Europe-market-only) diesel-powered Golf GTI, combining a high-output oil-burner with a sports suspension and sporty body addenda. This GTD Estate packages all of that goodness into the Golf SportWagen's station-wagon body. Volkswagen is showing the hot creation at the 2015 Geneva auto show in March, and European deliveries of the wagon will begin shortly after.
Power comes from the same 2.0-liter TDI four found in the GTD hatchback, and while its 184 horsepower is commendable, its prodigious 280 lb-ft of torque (at just 1750 rpm!) is the show-stealer. VW says the Estate can hit 60 mph in 7.9 seconds; keep on the gas—er, throttle, and the GTD will top out at an utterly satisfactory 144 mph. Fuel consumption is rated at 53.5 mpg in the European cycle, and our experience with Volkswagen TDIs in general suggests that that figure won't be far removed from real-life fuel consumption. Fun fact: The GTD Estate with the six-speed manual is more efficient than the six-speed dual-clutch automatic. Notch a win for the Save the Manuals movement!
- 2014 Volkswagen Golf GTD Diesel Driven: Mix One Part GTI and One Part TDI for Magic
- 2015 Volkswagen Golf R SportWagen: A 296-hp, Long-Roof Object of European Lust
- Volkswagen GTI Research: Full Pricing, Specs, Reviews, and More on Our Favorite Hot Hatch
With the current Golf range's stupendously appointed cabin, granite-like structure, and neatly tailored styling mere icing on the cake, what's not to love? Well, we'd love an all-wheel-drive version . . . but we'd take the GTD Estate any way VW is willing to give it to us. That is, if VW were willing to give it to us at all. While the GTD hatchback remains under consideration for the U.S. market, there isn't a steak's chance in a lion pit we'd ever get this wagon version—that's why it's called a unicorn. On a related note, look for more news on the GTD Estate's less sporty American cousin, the Golf SportWagen, at the 2015 Chicago auto show. We might not get the GTD, but at least our SportWagen is expected to offer a manual transmission and a optional diesel power, and all-wheel drive has been confirmed, too.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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