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Volkswagen Confirms Golf GTD For America
by
Derek Kreindler
(IC: employee)
Published: July 2nd, 2013
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Having dangled the GTD in front of us for so long, Volkswagen has finally confirmed that the diesel powered sports Golf will come to America, according to Automotive News.
While Volkswagen claimed to have had a business case for the car, it wasn’t quite a done deal for the 7th generation Golf. VW is on track to sell 100,000 TDI cars this year, and thinks that the $27,000 GTD could account for 5-10 percent of diesel Golf sales. The GTD will go on sale in the summer of 2014.
Derek Kreindler
More by Derek Kreindler
Published July 2nd, 2013 11:32 AM
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Given the generally unfavorable price difference between gasoline and diesel here in the US (in my area, diesel and premium gas are about the same price), I'm kinda wondering why someone would buy this car. When you do the math, the savings between a 30 mpg car and a 40 mpg car aren't all that much unless you drive a ton. So, you're paying a price premium over the GTI for a car that's not as fast and doesn't handle as well, because the additional weight of the diesel engine in front. I'm just not seeing this. The TDI over the standard car with the 2.5 liter n/a 5 I can see. The TDI is a lot more fuel efficient and feels faster in city driving because of its fat torque curve, even though the 2.5 will outrun it on the on-ramp.
I would so like to smoke someone in a V8 tank something with this confounded diesel GTI and meet that person at the gas station later, just to see the expression as I put tractor fluid into the horrid little hatchback.
A real sporty diesel has a factory 250 km/h (156 mph) speed limiter. But then you're in the 6 cylinder class, Audi's 3.0 TDI for example.
Fuel cost do differ across the country. Here in Northern California Diesel is currently a bit less than regular unleaded... About $4/gallon. Of course I was in TN a few weeks ago and noticed about a $0.70/gallon reduction on price. Doesn't the 2.0t require premium? If so, then the cost difference for fueling a GTI vs. a GTD is a wash given the aforementioned case of Diesel fuel costing the same as premium. If not, I consistently see a $0.20 difference between 87 and 91 octane fuel. At a base of $4/gallon this is a 5% fuel cost increase for a 20-30% fuel economy benefit. Still a cost benefit, no?