Skip advert
Advertisement

New Volkswagen Golf GTD 2021 review

The new Volkswagen Golf GTD is fast and fun, promising 198bhp and 54mpg

Overall Auto Express rating

4.0

How we review cars
Find your Volkswagen Golf
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

Verdict

The Volkswagen Golf GTD remains a very well rounded, practical and desirable car to own. It’s faster than ever and a genuinely good car to drive. However, it’s allure has most certainly been tainted by the public's attitude to diesel, but for those that can look past that they’ll be getting into a competent all-rounder. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

The Golf GTD has long been a success for VW and a great choice for someone wanting to combine hot hatch performance with fuel-sipping economy. However, the UK’s love affair with diesel is over, and with the introduction of the more powerful and even more efficient Golf GTE, is this new GTD still relevant?

VW certainly thinks so because this is the most advanced and powerful version of the hot diesel hatch there has ever been. Under the bonnet sits a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit that pumps out 198bhp and 400Nm of torque. That drives the front wheels through a seven-speed DSG gearbox - there’s no option of a manual this time around, but the GTD does feature an XDS electronic differential lock.

There’s a strong level of standard kit, too. VW’s Discover Navigation system with its 10-inch colour touchscreen sits in the centre of the dash, while there’s another 10-inch digital display for the dash behind the steering wheel. Adaptive cruise control, 18-inch alloys, climate control, Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, a full suit of parking sensors and a raft of safety kit is also included.

It is a little disappointing on a car costing almost £33,000 that heated seats (£270), a head-up display (£625), and a rear-view camera (£300) are all optional extras. Plus you have to fork out £785 if you want to add VW’s Dynamic Chassis Control, which as we’ll come on to, is probably worth stumping up the cash for. 

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

Taycan

2024 Porsche

Taycan

39,049 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £38,000
View Taycan
3 Series

2022 BMW

3 Series

10,310 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L

Cash £25,243
View 3 Series
Ioniq electric

2021 Hyundai

Ioniq electric

10,455 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £11,380
View Ioniq electric
Ibiza

2024 SEAT

Ibiza

13,071 milesManualPetrol1.0L

Cash £15,419
View Ibiza

On the road, that punchy diesel engine really makes it mark. Peak torque of 400Nm comes in from just 1,750rpm, so from the moment you squeeze the throttle you have instant thrust, which makes the GTD feel fast. It’ll sprint from 0-62mph in 7.1 seconds, but the performance strong point is it’s in-gear flexibility. The engine has a fairly narrow power band - it is a diesel after all - so by 3,500rpm there’s little point extending the engine any further unless you enjoy the sound of a diesel at maximum revs...

Happily, the seven-speed DSG box keeps the engine in its sweet spot for the most part, slicing through gears at the right moment to help maintain momentum. It’s an effective powertrain if not all that exciting - and as for economy, we averaged 40mpg over a mixture of roads, but on long motorway stretches you can exceed 60mpg with little effort, which is where diesel power done like this still has merit.

Find a B road and the GTD is also pretty good fun to drive. It doesn’t have the nimbleness of, say, a Golf GTI, but the XDS differential lock does a good job of keeping the front end pointy and managing the torque going through the front axle. It’s just a shame the steering has a vaugeness to it, which means you don’t get a great sense for what the front wheels are actually doing through the steering wheel. 

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Hit Dynamic Chassis Control adaptive dampers’ Sport setting and you get brilliant body control without sacrificing the Golf’s supple ride quality. The throttle response also improves here in this setting, but the steering takes on an artificially heavy weight and an unpleasant synthetic engine note is pumped through the speakers. However, an Individual setting allows you to tailor these traits to suit your preference.  

The GTD isn’t the bargain it once was to run as a company car. Sitting in the 30 per cent Benefit in Kind tax bracket, for a lower rate earner that means you can expect to pay £1,954 annually in company car tax. That rises to £3,908 for a higher rate earner. Compare that with the £431 and £863 those earners will pay respectively for the more powerful and more efficient Golf GTE, and it’s a no brainer for business users. 

For private buyers looking at a three-year PCP deal, the GTD will cost you £455 per month if you put down a 10 per cent deposit and cap your annual mileage to 10,000. 

Model:Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI GTD
Price:£32,840
Engine:2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel
TransmissionSeven-speed dual-clutch automatic, front-wheel drive
Power/torque:198bhp/400Nm
0-62mph:7.1 seconds
Top speed:152mph
Economy:54mpg
CO2:137g/km
On sale:Now
Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Omoda 5

Omoda 5

RRP £23,990Avg. savings £2,192 off RRP*
MG MG4

MG MG4

RRP £26,995Avg. savings £7,541 off RRP*Used from £12,599
Dacia Spring

Dacia Spring

RRP £14,995Avg. savings £3,158 off RRP*
Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke

RRP £19,785Avg. savings £4,614 off RRP*Used from £9,485
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Have you considered?

Used Skoda Fabia (Mk4, 2021-date) buyer’s guide: great value, comfy and spacious
Used Skoda Fabia - front

Used Skoda Fabia (Mk4, 2021-date) buyer’s guide: great value, comfy and spacious

Used car tests
22 May 2025
Cupra Leon review
Cupra Leon - front action

Cupra Leon review

In-depth reviews
10 Mar 2025
Used Vauxhall Astra (Mk8, 2022-date) buyer’s guide: popular hatch is more tempting than ever
Used Vauxhall Astra Mk8 - front

Used Vauxhall Astra (Mk8, 2022-date) buyer’s guide: popular hatch is more tempting than ever

Used car tests
7 Mar 2025

Most Popular

New Xiaomi YU7 2025 review: a world-beating new EV to worry the establishment
Xiaomi YU7 - front cornering

New Xiaomi YU7 2025 review: a world-beating new EV to worry the establishment

BMW or Mercedes would do anything to keep the new Xiaomi YU7 from sale in the UK and Europe, and this is why
Road tests
14 Jul 2025
Electric Car Grant in detail: Which cars will get the UK EV discount?
Auto Express creative director Darren Wilson charging the Lexus RZ

Electric Car Grant in detail: Which cars will get the UK EV discount?

The government has set out its plan to help reduce the cost of affordable EVs by introducing a new £3,750 Electric Car Grant for new EVs sold under £3…
News
17 Jul 2025
Electric Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake will keep going long after rivals need to stop
Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake - front action

Electric Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake will keep going long after rivals need to stop

The second of Merc’s new-era EVs is here in the form of an attractive estate with a huge range
News
14 Jul 2025