The Volkswagen Golf GTD has been quietly removed from the Wolfsburg-based firm’s local website, suggesting it has been officially discontinued in South Africa.
The Golf GTD slotted into VW SA’s range below the Golf GTI, with its 2,0-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine offering 130 kW and 350 N.m to the front axle via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The automaker claimed a combined fuel economy of 5,9 L/100 km, a 0-100 km/h time of 7,4 seconds and a top speed of 230 km/h.
The GTD-badged Golf launched in South Africa in July 2017 at the price of R506 700, fitted as standard with 18-inch “Sevilla” alloys, sports suspension, dark red LED tail-lamps (with dynamic turn signals), LED headlamps, leather sports seats (with a heating function up front) and an eight-inch touchscreen system.
It scored 84/100 in our subsequent road test (a single point behind the GTI), became the target of a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority and even took on its V6-powered Amarok sibling on the drag strip. Before its recent removal from VW SA’s website, it was listed at R529 200.
The local Golf range thus now comprises only petrol models, in the form of two 1,0 TSI variants, a single 1,4 TSI derivative, the aforementioned GTI and the flagship Golf R (the latter now boasting the full-fat 228 kW output).
Of course, it’s likely Volkswagen has already ceased production of the Golf GTD in Europe, where it has seemingly become a victim of the more stringent WLTP standards. In addition, the German brand is gearing up to start building the upcoming Golf 8…
