Back in May when CARmag.co.za revealed pricing for the facelifted Volkswagen Golf, the local range comprised just four derivatives. Since then, VW SA has added the Golf GTD and Golf R, and now a seventh variant has joined the line-up.
Yes, the Volkswagen Golf 2,0 TDI Comfortline has quietly slotted into the local range, priced at R366 900 and thus positioned just above the 1,4 TSI Comfortline, but below the trio of performance variants.
The new TDI-badged model – which can be specified in R-Line trim – uses the Wolfsburg automaker’s familiar 2,0-litre turbodiesel engine, in this instance again tuned to deliver 81 kW and 250 N.m, with the latter on tap between 1 500 and 2 500 r/min.
Drive is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission as standard (the pre-facelift version employed a five-speed manual), with the 0-100 km/h sprint taking a claimed 10,5 seconds and top speed coming in at 190 km/h.
That makes it 3,1 seconds slower to three figures than the 130 kW/350 N.m GTD (which tops out at 230 km/h … but costs R139 800 more). Interestingly, the two derivatives share a claimed combined fuel consumption of 5,0 L/100 km.
Standard features of the Comfortline trim level include 16-inch alloys, automatic headlamps, cruise control (with a speed limiter), seven airbags, fabric seats and a leather-trimmed steering wheel with paddle-shifters.