VW high-fives Golf diesel duo

VOLKSWAGEN is expected to introduce two diesel-powered versions of its new-generation Golf to Australia.

Due in September, the fifth incarnation of the iconic German small car is believed to include a high-performance 2.0-litre turbo-diesel (TDI) four-cylinder derivative, as well as a more accessible 1.9-litre TDI model.

The former is believed to be the TDI unit VW offers in its British-market GT model, which also happens to be identical to the engine Audi has just launched in the $47,800 A3 2.0 TDI Ambition DSG.

However it is speculated that Volkswagen Group Australia will undercut that price by several thousand dollars, to around $40,000. Like its four-ringed cousin, the Golf’s 2.0 TDI will be mated to VW/Audi’s acclaimed DSG double-clutch six-speed automatic gearbox, the only transmission available with this engine at the moment.

In both local A3 and UK Golf GT guise, it produces 103kW of power at 4000rpm and 320Nm of torque at 1750rpm.

The DSG model will hit the 0-100km/h mark in 9.3 seconds on its way to a 201km/h top speed, while delivering EU fuel consumption figures of 8.0L/100km (urban), 5.0 (extra-urban) and 6.1 (combined).

This compares to the 1.9-litre turbo-diesel engine’s 77kW and 250Nm outputs respectively, which helps it post a 0-100km/h time from 11.1 seconds and hit a maximum speed of 185km/h.

The 1.9, available overseas in five-speed manual, six-speed manual and six-speed DSG guises, will probably be pitched slightly above the $29,990-plus Peugeot charges for its 66kW/205Nm 307 2.0 HDI.

PD is “Pumpe-Duse”, German VW-speak for “pump injector”. This is when a precise amount of fuel is injected through a pump nozzle unit for greater engine efficiency and decreased fuel consumption and emissions.

VW joins not only Audi and Peugeot in the slowly growing diesel passenger car market, but also Mercedes-Benz and Citroen. MG Rover will add a turbo-diesel 75 model this year, while Mazda and Saab are also considering getting involved.

The Mk V diesels won’t be the first such-powered Golfs to arrive in Australia.

From March 1978 to December 1982 VW marketed the Golf GLD, a 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel version of the Mk1 Golf.

Mated solely to a four-speed manual gearbox, it produced a leisurely 37kW of power and 82Nm of torque, compared to the petrol Golf 1.6’s 55kW and 119Nm.

Despite steep pricing (it cost about 20 per cent more than its Golf GLS petrol brother – or the price of a contemporary Ford XD Fairmont Ghia) the GLD found a small but enthusiastic following.

This was spurned on by spiralling petrol prices (a result of the late-1970s fuel-shortage scare), as well as a dearth of derv-driven rivals.

The only other diesels were the considerably costlier Peugeot 504 GLD and Mercedes-Benz W123 300D until the universally ignored Holden Gemini diesel was sold here from 1981 to 1985.

Skyrocketing pricing forced VW to abandon selling passenger cars here altogether during the 1980s, but the Golf diesel briefly returned to an indifferent public reception in Mk III 66kW/202Nm 1.9-litre turbo guise from October 1995 to early 1997.