2013 Volkswagen GTD: Better than the GTI? - Ignition Episode 50
On this episode of Ignition
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MotorTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:04 The Golf GTD offers an interesting proposal.
00:08 Would you trade horsepower for fuel economy?
00:10 You see, this is essentially a GTI,
00:13 but it doesn't have the gasoline drinking turbo 2-liter
00:16 that we know and enjoy.
00:17 Instead, it has a turbo diesel of the same displacement.
00:21 That means it gives up some horsepower,
00:23 but returns around 30% better fuel economy.
00:26 Even better, it has more torque.
00:29 Volkswagen doesn't currently sell the GTD in the States,
00:32 but the company's brought this car over
00:34 as an example for us to drive.
00:37 That's a good thing, because it means we can answer
00:39 a very important question.
00:41 Can you have fun and be green?
00:43 The paint on this car says yes, but how about the way
00:46 it drives?
00:46 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:50 [TIRES SCREECHING]
00:52 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:55 Now, I'm actually really impressed
01:06 with the driving dynamics.
01:08 And there's no reason why I shouldn't be,
01:10 because this handles like a GTI.
01:13 You have very responsive turn-in,
01:15 a very nicely weighted and precise steering.
01:18 You don't have the same horsepower out of corners,
01:20 but instead, you have a lot of torque,
01:22 which is almost as enjoyable, but not
01:24 as quite as revving a four-cylinder out
01:27 as far as it can go.
01:29 Now, interestingly, there isn't a lot of noticeable understeer.
01:33 It's rather minor at the limit.
01:35 What you do have when you turn in
01:37 is you notice what feels like the brakes are grabbing
01:40 the inside rear wheel to help it turn.
01:42 And so that means the car always feels like there's
01:45 more grip in the front.
01:47 Granted, I'm not sure if stability control is completely
01:49 defeatable.
01:50 We're not getting a lot of intervention on corner exit,
01:53 but we are getting that braking sensation mid-corner.
01:58 Now, what this doesn't do, which is kind of disappointing,
02:00 is any lift-off oversteer.
02:01 You can't control the tail with the throttle
02:03 like you can with some hot-hatch front-wheel drive cars.
02:07 But I'm OK with that, because this is still really fun.
02:09 It drives less like some sort of track car
02:12 and more like a grand touring car.
02:15 This is a very fun car to toss around.
02:20 And I have the transmission in Sport.
02:22 It's doing a very good job of keeping
02:24 the engine in the power band right near its torque peak
02:26 and its horsepower peak and responding to downshifts
02:30 when the speeds call for it.
02:34 Overall, this is a fun little car.
02:37 Now, versus the GTI, the D is down on horsepower,
02:43 but up in torque.
02:44 So what does that mean for an acceleration run?
02:47 Well, it means a lot of wheel spin
02:49 as you surge through all that torque.
02:50 60 miles an hour comes in about seven seconds.
02:54 And the quarter mile arrives at 15.5 seconds
02:58 at 89 miles an hour.
02:59 And now for a 60 to 0 braking test.
03:04 Takes just 112 feet.
03:10 [TIRES SCREECHING]
03:13 The GTD gives up some acceleration at the test track,
03:23 but it still retains the delightful handling
03:26 and ride characteristics of the GTI.
03:29 Yeah, it's a bit slower, but it's just as fun to drive.
03:32 Now, part of that's the steering,
03:34 which is confident, composed, and nice and weighted well.
03:38 Part of it's the summer tires that we're on,
03:40 which are pretty aggressive.
03:41 And part of it's also the adaptive damper system
03:44 that this car is outfitted with, which has three modes.
03:47 We're actually in sport mode right now,
03:49 which tightens the steering up.
03:51 So this diesel is mated to a DSG transmission, a twin clutch
03:54 gearbox.
03:55 And it works very well.
03:57 The shifts are almost seamless, which
03:59 is pretty important considering the amount of torque we have
04:01 on tap, about 258 pound feet.
04:04 Now, redline is pretty low, again,
04:06 unsurprisingly for a diesel.
04:08 About 5,000 RPM.
04:09 And the thing is, this engine is so quiet at speed,
04:12 you have to remember to upshift if you're
04:13 trying to shift manually.
04:15 Or else you'll be bouncing into the redline
04:17 without even realizing it.
04:18 We don't have the GTI's horsepower.
04:21 We don't have its ability to rev.
04:22 Not that the 2.0T is a particularly revvy engine,
04:26 but we have torque and lots of torque.
04:29 And torque is great, because torque
04:31 is what makes you feel like you're going fast.
04:33 It gives you that sensation in your stomach of acceleration.
04:37 And I bet if you were to put most people in the driver's
04:40 seat of this car, they might think it's faster
04:42 off the line than the GTI.
04:45 Now, the biggest selling point of the GTD
04:47 is its fuel efficiency.
04:49 It's tough to make an estimate what it might be in the US,
04:52 because the EPA measures fuel differently
04:54 than they do in Europe.
04:55 And Imperial gallons are smaller than US gallons.
04:58 But if you look at what this car returns on the European cycle,
05:02 it's about 30% more fuel efficient than the GTI.
05:05 If you apply that to the EPA's rankings,
05:08 you come out with about 36 miles per gallon combined.
05:10 Now, that's your proven, as tested,
05:13 Motor Trend official number.
05:16 Not really.
05:18 It's also hard to compare price between US and Europe,
05:21 because this car has a few options that we wouldn't
05:23 get in the US, like the parking sensors,
05:25 like the adaptive ride control.
05:27 We also have a bottle opener here,
05:29 or at least a spot for one, for the bottled carbonated water
05:32 that people love to have in Europe.
05:35 But in Europe, this car costs less money than the GTI.
05:39 And considering this car's strengths, its torque,
05:42 its fuel efficiency, I think it's the one I'd buy.
05:46 Driving the GTD is, unsurprisingly,
05:49 a lot like driving a GTI.
05:51 It's the same sort of confidence in the car,
05:53 the same sort of ride.
05:54 We have a very nice outward view forward.
05:58 And the whole thing allows you to place the car exactly where
06:01 you want it on a road.
06:03 The torque means it's nice coming out
06:05 of corners in low RPM range.
06:07 But it's also nice to drive about town.
06:10 This is the kind of car you can enjoy equally on a back road
06:13 or on the commute.
06:15 It straddles a nice line between comfort, luxury,
06:20 and sportiness, and fun.
06:22 This thing, like a GTI, feels nimble, responsive, quick,
06:26 and capable.
06:29 I think this is a car that the majority of consumers
06:32 should be driving, this style of car, a hatchback
06:35 with lots of cargo room, lots of leg room, lots of seat room,
06:38 with a lot of torque and very strong fuel efficiency.
06:41 I mean, this car makes so much sense for how we drive.
06:46 It's a wonder that more people aren't adapting to it
06:48 or adopting this style of car.
06:59 So while the GTD is slower than the GTI,
07:02 it doesn't lose the things that make the GTI so enjoyable.
07:06 It's great fun to toss around on a mountain road.
07:08 But it also makes for a great commuter,
07:10 thanks to the addition of so much torque.
07:12 The only question is, then, Volkswagen,
07:15 when will you sell it here?
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07:48 (upbeat music)
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