New MK8 Volkswagen Golf GTD to be revealed at Geneva show

The Golf was one of the first cars in the 1970s to make diesel popular as more than just the esoteric choice of beardy Peugeot drivers. Quick to spot a niche, it introduced the turbocharged “diesel GTI” in 1982 and the Golf GTD has been a fixture of the Golf range through the model generations ever since.

The car you see here is the Mk8 GTD which will have its debut in Geneva on 3^rd March. As you can see, it is getting its own distinct look; more charismatic and dynamic, says VW.

While it’s an oil-burner, the new top of the range diesel gets what promises to be a trick new engine, with  two catalytic converters and twin dosing AdBlue injection to cut NOx emissions. The NOx is “greatly reduced” over the predecessor model says VW, and the 2.0-litre four-cylinder TDI unit now ranks as one of the cleanest combustion engines in the world.

Expect the new GTD to be sharper performing than before as well, with more power along with its greater efficiency. No power figures are quoted so far, just the promise of a “significant increase in performance”. What does it have to beat? The outgoing £30,000 GTD with 182bhp does 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds and returns around 62mpg (on the combined cycle).

Diesel days are far from over…