Review: Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf GTD (2010-12)

Overview

Released in Australia in June 2010, the Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf GTD was a five-door hatchback. Manufactured in Wolfsburg, Germany, the front-wheel drive VW Golf GTD was powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine that was mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed double clutch transmission (DCT or Volkswagen’s ‘DSG’).

GTD Engine

The Golf GTD’s 1968 cc four-cylinder diesel engine had a grey cast iron block with an 81.0 mm bore and a 95.5 mm stroke, a die-forged steel crankshaft with five main bearings, fracture-split forged steel connecting rods, Bosch EDC 17 common rail injection (operating at up to 1800 bar via eight-hole injection nozzles with piezo in-line injectors), a Garrett GT14V turbocharger which provided peak boost pressure of 36 psi, an alloy cylinder head, double overhead camshafts (belt-driven), exhaust gas recirculation, a diesel particulate filter and a compression ratio of 16.5:1.

Fuel consumption

Over the combined ADR 81/02 test cycle, fuel consumption for the VW Golf GTD was 5.5 and 5.8 litres per 100 km with the manual and DSG transmissions, respectively. Furthermore, the Golf GTD complied with Euro 5 emissions standards.

DSG transmission

The transversely mounted DSG unit had two wet clutches, two input shafts and two outputs shafts. In this arrangement, Clutch 1 (C1) operated the odd gears (plus reverse), while Clutch 2 (C2) operated the even gears. When driving, the next-higher gear ratio could be engaged without actually being activated. To change gears, the clutch for the current gear would open and the other clutch (for the higher gear) would engage under electrohydraulic control. Since the opening and closing actions of the two clutches overlapped, Volkswagen claimed that the system provided smooth gearshifts in less than four-hundredths of a second.

In addition to its fully automatic shift mode, the DSG had a Tiptronic function to permit manual gear selection – this could be performed via the steering wheel gearshift paddles.

Suspension

The Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf GTD had MacPherson strut front suspension (with lower A-arms and an anti-roll bar) and independent, four-link rear suspension which had three lateral control arms (the spring mounting, track rod and upper control arm), a trailing link at each wheel, coil springs and an anti-roll bar. Compared to the standard Golf, the front and rear suspension for the Golf GTD was lowered by 15 mm.

As an extra-cost option, the Golf GTD was available with electronically-controlled dampers (Volkswagen’s ‘Adaptive Chassis Control’) which enabled the driver to select from normal, comfort or sport modes – these modes also altered throttle response and steering settings.

Steering

The VW Mk.6 Golf GTD had speed-sensitive electric, power-assisted steering.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the VW Golf GTD included dual front airbags, front side airbags, curtain airbags for front and rear occupants, a driver’s knee airbag, ABS, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, traction control, electronic stability control, front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters and outer rear seatbelts with load limiters. 

Brakes

The Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf GTD had 312 mm by 25 mm ventilated front brake discs and 282 mm by 12 mm solid rear discs.

Euro NCAP crash testing

In Euro NCAP crash testing , a five-door Mk.6 Golf hatchback received a five star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 35.72 out of 37. In the frontal offset impact test, there was a slight risk of serious leg injury for the driver. In the side impact test, a fraction of a point was lost due to a very slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver – Volkswagen advises that a clip securing the side airbag has since been upgraded.

The Golf was subsequently reassessed under Euro NCAP’s updated testing methodology and received a five star safety rating which included a 97 per cent adult occupant protection rating and an 84 per cent child occupant protection rating.

Features: Golf GTD

The Volkswagen Golf GTD had 17 x 7.5J ‘Seattle’ alloy wheels with 225/45 R17 tyres. Beyond this, however, standard features were the same as the Mk.6 Golf GTi and included an eight-speaker sound system (Volkswagen’s RCD510) with a 6.5-inch touch screen, a six-disc in-dash CD player, MP3/WMA compatibility and auxiliary inputs (3.5 mm/SD card), dual-zone climate control air conditioning, front ‘Top’ sports seats, ‘Jacky’ tartan cloth seat tirm, cruise control, daytime running lights, a rear fog lamp, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, a three-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel wrapped in leather, 60/40 split and folding rear seats, remote central locking, power windows and heated mirrors, tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment, height adjustable front seats, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, 12 volt power sockets (centre console and cargo area), front and rear floor mats, a cargo net, tinted windows, illuminated footwells, front reading lights, illuminated vanity mirrors, black headlining, tyre pressure monitoring, a trip computer and an immobiliser. All Mk.6 Golf GTD models were fitted with a space-saving spare wheel.

Unlike the Golf GTi, the Golf GTD had an acoustic damping film in its windshield, a ‘noise attenuation package’ and ‘aero-acoustic fine tuning’ to reduce interior noise and vibration from its diesel engine.

August 2011 update

In August 2011, standard features for the Golf GTD were extended to include Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and audio streaming, and Volkswagen’s ‘Media Device Interface’ (MDI) with USB connection cable.

Options: Golf GTD

Extra-cost options for the Golf GTD included:

• A 300 watt, eight-channel Dynaudio sound system;
• Satellite navigation (Volkswagen’s RNS510);
• Vienna leather upholstery;
• A power adjustable driver’s seat;
• Rear parking sensors;
• A rear-view camera;
• Park assist (automated steering during reverse parallel parking manoeuvres);
• Bi-xenon headlights with cornering lights;
• 18-inch ‘Vancouver’ alloy wheels; and,
• A power-operated glass sunroof.

Brochure

• Brochure: Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf (January 2012)

Related links

• Specifications: Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf GTD (June 2010)
• Press Kit: Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf GTD (June 2010)
• Wikipedia.org: Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf