BMW's offering of a d-suffixed alternative to its 335i has demonstrated how the Germans can take a sporting drive and power it by diesel. Now Volkswagen has done it with the GTI. At least in Europe, you can now get a Golf GTD.

It's a cut'n'paste job, consisting of the body shell and interior of a Golf GTI (available here as a 2010 model), mated to the 2010 Golf TDI clean-diesel powertrain -- but with an extra 30 horsepower, taking the corral of ponies to 170.

That output sounds no more than okay alongside the GTI's 210 horsepower, but torque is 258 pound-feet for the diesel against 206 for the gas motor. That ability to surf along on a wave of midrange boost has always made some European drivers actively prefer diesels over gas engines, irrespective of economy.

Throw in the vast mileage advantage of the diesel and you see why Europe, despite a tax regime that hikes fuel prices scarily high, still largely ignores the hybrid in favor of diesel.

Once it's underway, the Golf GTD's torque is enough to give you swift hatchback performance. And even absent the fancy electronic pseudo-LSD (or XDS, VW calls it) of the GTI, there's lots of traction out of bends unless they're very tight and wet.

We sampled the GTD with manual and DSG transmissions. Both provide six speeds, and the manual has sweetly progressive lever and pedal actions that boost the interactive joy of controlling the powertrain. But the twin-clutch DSG, operated by little paddles that turn with the steering wheel, meant we were always in exactly the right ratio when negotiating a dizzying mountain pass. It also gave some useful hurry-up to downshift-and-accelerate passing maneuvers.

The GTD retains the exquisite refinement of VW's gen-six Golf. Rolling comfort is superb, aided in this case by the optional adaptive dampers (which VW says won't come to the U.S. for cost reasons). Wind noise is low, and the diesel engine is well muffled for urban work and almost completely disappears into the background on the highway. At a cruise, you could be in an Audi A4, not some biscuit-tin-size hatchback.

And the interior, shared with the 2010 GTI, is a step ahead from the 2009 model. Trim materials, always nice, are more sumptuous. Ergonomics, always intuitive, are further honed. Construction quality and robustness are of the highest.

But sad to say, the GTD just doesn't fizz like the GTI.

 

 

I still love the Euro Cloth patterns !

 

this car would be a blast! economical and fun to drive.

it'd be a great DD for someone who drives a lot of miles