While the GTD shares the GTI’s sporty chassis,
its 2.0-liter turbo gas engine has been replaced by a 2.0-liter
turbodiesel making 168 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. That’s 32 hp less and
51 lb-ft of more than the gas-powered GTI, but the GTD is rated about
30 percent more efficient than the gas-powered GTI in the European test
cycle.At the track, the GTD accelerated to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 15.5 seconds at 89.2 mph. The last GTI we tested during our $28K High-Performance Two-Door comparison accomplished those runs in 6.1 seconds and 14.7 seconds at 95.8 mph, respectively. In handling tests, the GTD’s adaptive suspension closed the performance gaps where it pulled 0.90 g around the skidpad to the GTI’s 0.87 g. Around the figure eight, the GTD’s 26.9 second run at 0.65 g was 0.6 seconds and 0.02 g off the GTI. The GTD stopped 12 feet shorter from 60 mph, needing just 112 feet.
Once Lago records the GTD’s track results, he heads to the canyons to find out how the diesel-powered hatch performs in the real world. Check out the video below to find out if the Volkswagen GTD’s increase in fuel economy is worth the hit in performance.