Volkswagen Golf GT TDI With DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox)

The Golf Mk V, which went on sale in January, set new benchmarks in the class for refinement, driving dynamics and advanced technology. Combine this with the Golf’s 30 year heritage, quality, and value for money, and it’s little surprise the car was voted What Car? magazine’s Car of the Year 2004 as well as Top Gear and Auto Express’s best hatchback.

The most popular engine in the Golf range is the 2.0-litre TDI with 140 PS which features in GT TDI trim. This car boasts a comprehensive range of equipment as standard. Like all Golfs, it has six airbags (including head airbag system for front and rear passengers); head restraints and three-point seatbelts for all three rear occupants; active front head restraints; CD player; ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme); ABS; electric mirrors and front windows; remote central locking; and electro-mechanical power steering. It also has rain sensor wipers; auto headlights and auto-dimming rear view mirror; plus 16" alloy wheels; front sports seats; 2Zone climate control; multifunction computer; and sports suspension.

The GT TDI’s four-cylinder powerplant is not only the most powerful diesel engine in this sector but was also among the first Volkswagen turbocharged diesels to combine the innovative unit-injector fuel supply system with four valves per cylinder.

It delivers 140 PS at 4,000 rpm and maximum torque of 236 lbs ft from 1,750 rpm. Top speed, with the optional DSG gearbox is 125 mph and 0-62 mph acceleration takes just 9.3 seconds. Yet despite its lively nature, this car returns 46.3 mpg on the combined cycle, and complies with the Euro 4 emissions standard – bringing benefits for company car drivers.

Principal design features include: twin overhead camshafts, valves operated by low-friction roller cam followers with hydraulic clearance adjusters and unit injectors actuated by roller-rockers from the exhaust camshaft. As in other TDI engines, a variable geometry turbocharger (VTG) is used, which improves response at low engine speeds.

The crossflow cylinder head is a new design, with two tangential inlet ports per cylinder and a ‘rotated valve star’, the term used for the special arrangement of the four valves in relation to the crankshaft, which ensures the best possible injector position and therefore optimum swirl within the cylinder.

To lower emissions of oxides of nitrogen still further to meet Euro 4 levels, exhaust gas recirculation with a two-way oxidating catalytic converter is fitted. The quantity of recirculated exhaust gas is precisely controlled by an electric throttle valve. In addition, a new generation of unit injector has been developed for the four-valve engine. It is more compact than previously, with a higher part-load injection pressure and superior acoustic properties. The 2.0 TDI’s rapid starting system allows instant starting without a pre-heating period in almost all weathers.