Based on the impressive new Golf platform, it has kW and a massive Nm of torque, meaning it performs like no other small diesel car before it. Throw in the fuel consumption recorded by Drive of 3. Diesel-powered VW Golfs are not a new phenomenon, and a few that went before are worth owning second-hand. The first Golf diesel arrived here in but you can dismiss that version unless you're a true enthusiast - for a couple of reasons.
Most notably, they've all done a heap of kilometres, and reconditioning a diesel engine is costly. Second, the performance was meagre. Dedicated owners will no doubt argue, but the original Golf diesel is a breathless performer in just about any situation, making driving hard work. The Golf 2 second generation is a rarity here and not available in sufficient numbers to make it a contender. But that all changed in the early s when the brand was revived after about 10 years in the wilderness, as far as this market was concerned.
The Golf 3 was the current model, so although we were late getting them, we did see a decent supply of the third-generation cars. The Golf GL TDi of was based on the roomy, five-door bodyshell that offered an upright seating position for the five passengers and adequate luggage space.
It wasn't exciting to look at but had enough Golf personality to convince you that it was not a Japanese effort. The interior was more plasticky than owners of old air-cooled Volkswagens would recognise, and build quality generally was a bit off the pace. Based on the mid-spec GL version of the Golf 3 the diesel wasn't offered in ritzier GLE specification the TDi had dual front air-bags, air-conditioning, central locking, power mirrors, power windows and not much more it was , remember.
But the highlight was the engine, and with 1. It used a single-overhead camshaft and two valves per cylinder. Power didn't look great on paper it produced just 66 kW , but its torque, or pulling power, at a beefy Nm, gave the car character. The designers deserve applause, however, for slender A pillars and low-mounted side windows and rearview mirrors that provide excellent forward vision.
The same goes for the gauges, the perfectly clear screen, the well lighted controls and the numerous handy outlets and storage compartments. Cargo space is wide and accessible, with split-folding rear seat-backs. To open the hatch, you press the top of the VW badge, which swivels automatically when you shift into reverse to reveal the backup camera. This means that the camera lens stays clean, even in winter. The front seats are well-designed and look good. They are very comfortable initially, and provide good support, but I found myself squirming around after a few hours at the wheel.
It was perhaps inevitable after 8, 10 and even 12 hours of driving. Or maybe it was just me. The engines in the seventh-generation Golf are also new. The TSI has a gasoline powered direct-injection turbocharged 1. This lively and flexible power plant takes the TSI from 0 to kph in 8. The quarter-mile takes These figures were achieved on regular gas. Unusually for a turbo engine, that is what Volkswagen recommends.
You'll be able to feel the difference in your wallet. Output is hp at 3, rpm and lb-ft of torque at 1, rpm. Performance: kph in 9. The gasoline version has a slight edge in speed and acceleration, and the diesel remains more economical, as expected. What advantage does the TDI have in terms of fuel consumption, you may wonder? And this was all achieved in comfort, from a car that feels zippy and responsive.
Every other car we can think of that returns mileage even approaching that range seems to involve some glaring sacrifice—in performance, comfort, or refinement, for example. But in our week with the new Golf TDI, we intentionally drove it with flow of traffic, and used it as we normally would as a daily driving or commuting car—not as complete leadfoot drivers, but by no means hypermiling or being exceptionally mileage-minded.
Even in the possibility that the trip computer was a little optimistic, our test number is significantly better than the Golf TDI's 31 mpg city, 42 highway rating with the six-speed manual transmission, as we tested it. And it's a few mpg better than what we saw with the last-generation Mk6 Golf.
This is the new, seventh-generation A7 Golf, and under the hood there's also a new version of VW's well-established 2. According to VW there are no parts carried over to the new EA—only the cylinder bore spacing. This engine is now up to horsepower 10 more than the previous version , with peak torque at pound-feet. Internal friction has been reduced a significant 15 percent; it moves to a SOHC design; and there's now variable cam phasing for both the intake and exhaust valves.
Emissions have been reduced by about 40 percent versus the previous engine, with the help of exhaust after-treatment. We revved it up near 5, rpm once or twice to see what it's like, and it's still surprisingly smooth. But there's really no need; this is an engine that is best kept between its 1,rpm torque peak and its 3,rpm power peak when accelerating. We generally upshifted before revs reached 3, rpm and followed the shift guide that's built into the instrument cluster, advising you which gear you should be in for best fuel economy.
When cruising, as that system points out, it's happy lugging even at 1, or 1, rpm. The new Golf is the first U. Curb weight for the test Golf TDI is around 3, pounds. Nimble yet low-effort is how we'd describe the driving experience. The suspension doesn't feel especially sporty or performance-tuned and oddly in the TDI you get a torsion-beam rear suspension while other Golfs have an independent setup ; but we really like the way the Golf combines a relatively firm, controlled ride and great isolation of road noise with good body control and precise steering.
The electric power steering in particular is one of the nicest systems in its class, feeling settled and confident on center but loading up nicely off-center. The interior of the Golf feels airy, with the corners of the dash pushed outward and forward and the dash also pushed forward a bit. Overall, the driving position doesn't feel as 'sunken in' as in other previous Golfs—not a bad thing, as visibility seems to have improved for it.
As always, seats are far better than most other models in this price-conscious compact class—very supportive. Although we'd probably want cloth over the somewhat rubbery leatherette upholstery. Legroom is definitely more limited in the back seat of the Golf than in some rival compact-class models, but the front seats do go back farther than in many of those cars and so if you're taller you'll tend to take advantage of that.
But getting in and out is easy, thanks to a roofline that actually doesn't cut downward near the back refreshingly, today , and the cargo area is a boxy One interesting side note: There's no stop-start in the Golf; that's a feature that Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi have brought over in their diesels, and it can yield some significant savings in suburban driving.
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