Diesel isn’t dead yet.
The “GTD” badge, while less well-known than the famous “GTI”, is still very popular. However, the hot hatch diesel-powered has been around nearly as long as its gasoline counterpart. The original GTI was released in 1975. The diesel version, the 1982 Golf GTD, followed seven years later. The Golf GTD will see another generation, despite the fact that Volkswagen Group’s image and bank accounts have been severely damaged by Dieselgate. The Mk8 will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month. VW claims that the new Golf GTD will feature “one of the most efficient combustion engines in the world.”
VW has made these promises with respect to the most recent technologies in the 2.0 TDI, EA 288 Evo to make it more beneficial to the environment. The company recently posted a video to explain the twin dosing process as well as the installation of three catalytic converters. The NOX levels of the four-cylinder diesel engine have been reduced as much as 80 percent, while still maintaining the low-end torque (and lower fuel consumption) that diesel enthusiasts love. VW hasn’t yet revealed how much power the new Golf GTD will produce, but a slideshow taken from an internal presentation showed a output of just 147 kilowatts. This works out to 197 horsepower. It represents an increase of 16 horsepower over the previous model if that number is accurate. We don’t know much about torque, but the Golf GTD Mk7 had 280 Newton-meters (380 lb) starting at 1,750 rpm.
It is not yet clear if the Golf GTD will produce a new wagon. We are also curious if there will be a manual and DSG, as was the case with previous models. When the Golf GTI debuts in Geneva, we will be able to tell what the car is. The all-wheel-drive R will follow the GTI TCR later in 2020.