2009 Volkswagen Golf GTD Pricing Announced For UK Market

While the all-new 2010 Volkswagen GTI is set to grace Aussie vee-dub showrooms later this year, pricing for the diesel version of the hot hatch has now been revealed for the UK market.

Starting at £21,850 (AU$45,360), the 2009 Volkswagen Golf GTD will go on sale in the British isles from June 22.

That price will get you the three-door, six-speed manual model – which we suspect will be the preference of most buyers – while the five-door model will take another £585 off your hands, at £22,435.

The range-topping six-speed DSG version will lighten your savings by £23,740.

Powered by an updated version of Volkswagen’s 2.0 litre common-rail TDI mill, the GTD produces 125kW (168hp) and – its strong point, courtesy of its diesel heart – 349Nm (258lb-ft) of torque.

For comparison’s sake, its GTI sibling develops 155kW and 280Nm of torque.

While there’s no official word yet on the GTD coming to Aussie showrooms, the rise in popularity of diesel models will at least help Volkswagen Australia’s case when it takes the thought to the bean counters.

The current GTI available in Australia, based on the Golf V, runs for about $40,000.

One hopes then that, with the appealing fuel economy but the lower output, the GTD will sit at an appropriate price point beneath the new GTI when it arrives on our fair shores.

PRICING ANNOUNCED FOR NEW HOT DIESEL: THE VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTD

Volkswagen has revealed pricing for its new performance diesel, the Golf GTD. The new model is available to order at Volkswagen Retailers now ahead of the cars arriving in the UK on 22 June.

Prices will start at £21,850 RRP 'on the road' for the three-door, six-speed manual model. There is a £585 premium for the five-door model and a £1,305 for the six-speed DSG automatic gearbox.

Powering the new GTD is a refined 2.0-litre (1,968 cc) common rail TDI engine, producing 170 PS and a substantial 258 lbs ft of torque channelled via a six-speed manual or automatic DSG gearbox. This translates to effortless performance with the ability to accelerate to 62 mph in 8.1 seconds and a top speed of 138 mph. Combined with CO2 emissions of just 139 g/km and average fuel consumption of 53.3 mpg and a range in excess of 640 miles on a single tank of fuel, the GTD is a frugal yet exciting hot hatch.

The Golf GTD's appearance differs significantly from the standard Golf. A new front bumper from the GTI sits below a honeycomb grille element framed by chrome horizontal fins and a prominent 'GTD' badge. At the rear, full body-coloured bumpers make the GTD appear lower and wider than it really is, while the Golf's standard wheels are replaced with unique 17-inch 'Seattle Black' alloys.

Inside, the main contact points are unique to the Golf GTD – a flat-bottomed steering wheel, a leather gearshift and a standard tartan interior. The tartan finish is unique to the GTD and is subtly different from that found in the GTI, being grey, white and black, rather than red, white and black.

As with the entire Golf range, the new GTD will feature class-leading levels of safety with ABS, ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme) and seven airbags, including for the first time a knee airbag, all standard. The Golf was recently awarded a maximum five-star rating by the EuroNCAP crash testing agency.