Admittedly, this is the Performance pack version of the GTI
we’re talking about, with its extra 10 PS at the top end. But when you compare
it with the standard 220 PS GTI you realise that it’s really only a nominal
advantage. Even Volkswagen’s own figures credit the Performance pack model with
only a tenth of second off the 0-62 mph time. Indeed, both versions of the GTI
engine have identical maximum torque figures, although the Performance pack
model pushes its peak figure just that little bit further up the rev range.
As usual, the 2.0-litre diesel engine has a higher peak
torque figure, at 380 Nm (280 lb.ft) but it’s over a narrower rev range,
between 1750 and 3250 rpm. Ironically, this makes the GTD feel more punchy,
provided it’s in the right gear at the right time, but it’s nowhere near as
flexible as the GTI which can pull away cleanly in a high gear from low speeds.
Not necessarily recommended, but for test purposes we were able to drive the
GTI out of tight 25 mph corners in sixth gear with hardly a hint of hesitation,
where the GTD would start to grumble if asked to pull below 35 mph.
The GTI’s rear
seat passenger gets a good deal, with a spacious bench and plenty of storage
Speaking of which, the GTD will never sound quite as
satisfying as the GTI. Although long gone is the distinctive harsh clattering
of the old TDI pump injectors, at best the new common-rail TDI engines sound
gruff rather than sporty. There is, however, an optional Sport and Sound pack
for the GTD, priced at $373, which artificially adds a sporting engine note
when running in the Sport mode of the Drive Profile selector.
Contrast the performance figures and you’ll consider the GTI
to be a runaway winner in this comparison. It’s quicker off the mark and
reaches 50 mph a full second ahead, is 1.2 seconds quicker to reach 60 and 1.7
seconds faster to 70. Up to 80 mph, the GTI is almost a full three seconds
faster, and that’s particularly significant when you consider that the GTD we
tested had the DSG transmission with its foolproof seamless shifting, such that
even an average driver can consistently achieve optimum acceleration times.
Plenty of space in
rear for a couple of six-footers on the GTD
So, on the quarter-mile strip at Santa Pod or Shakespeare
County Raceway, the GTI is the one to have, producing the timing tickets to
prove its clear advantage. The point we made earlier, though, is that you just
don’t – or certainly shouldn’t – drive like that on the road. That advantage in
acceleration is only achieved when literally racing, using full-bore
acceleration to the red line and power-shifting through the gears. In the real
world, the difference in performance between the two models is nowhere near as
marked, and the stronger torque of the GTD, especially because it is over a
narrower range, makes it feel the more responsive of the two. It punches rather
than shoves.
The Driver Profile
Selection on the GTI allows you to tune the car's responses to your tastes
The difference in top speed, too, is totally academic. The
GTI is artificially limited to 155 mph, whereas the GTD tops out at just over
140 mph – twice the legal limit and more than enough to get you banned for
quite some time. Not much point in spending more than $41,465 on a car, only to
end up taking the train to work. Even on a trip to Germany, it is only on rare
occasions these days that you’ll find a de-restricted autobahn devoid of
traffic and with sufficient visibility to explore such speeds with any degree
of safety. By all means hire the 2-mile runway at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground
for the day if you want to show that your GTI is so much faster than a GTD, but
do make sure to take a jerry can or leave enough fuel in the tank to get to the
Esso garage at North Kilworth, on your way home.