Volkswagen Golf GT TSI 2007 Review

Name: Volkswagen Golf GT TSI 2007 Review
Brand: Volkswagen

The GT pioneers the use of its twin-charged TSI engine technology Down Under and promises to deliver turbodiesel-like torque and fuel economy in a petrol powerplant

Local Launch
Gold Coast Hinterland

What we liked

>> Elastic, energetic and frugal powerplant
>> GTI-like handling
>> Q-ship looks

Not so much

>> Very little
>> Paying over $600 for paint
>> Engine not in Polo GTI (yet!)

Overall rating: 4.0/5.0

Engine, drivetrain and chassis: 4.0/5.0
Packaging and practicality: 4.5/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.0/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

OVERVIEW
Volkswagen's innovative Golf GT has arrived Down Under. Already on sale for more than a year in Europe, the GT pioneers VW's use of its twin-charged TSI engine technology locally. A hit at home, where 60,000 TSI-engined VWs are already in owners' hands, the technology promises to deliver turbodiesel-like torque and excellent fuel economy in a petrol powerplant.

The Carsales Network first sampled the GT in Europe last October (more here). And though the chassis et al are entirely conventional -- blending components from the existing Golf range -- the petrol engine is anything but. In a passenger car first, it features supercharging, turbocharging and ultra-high pressure direct-injection.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

When CN's Mike McCarthy drove the GT in Europe last year, it was not anticipated that the car would make it Down Under until late in 2007. Specification and pricing were also yet to be confirmed.

Up almost 50 per cent YTD in sales, Volkswagen Australia in on a roll and part of the story behind the success is the ability to bring products to market more quickly. Recently, the maker has added the R32 Golf to its armoury and also a three-door version of its top-selling GTi (more here). The company's stocks must be high at Wolfsburg indeed -- now the GT's here five months ahead of schedule.

But there is a slight catch. Priced from $34,990, just 420 GTs will be offered. Officially, the future of the model Down Under after this allocation is dependent on buyer response to the innovative but diminutive 1.4-litre twincharger powerplant.

Of the initial batch, around 300 cars will be fitted with the optional ($2300) six-speed DSG sequential paddle-shift gearbox. The remainders get a conventional six-speed manual.

The Golf GT arrives with an equipment level that shares much of its equipment list with the Golf 2.0 FSI. That is to say, pretty comprehensive.

Power windows and mirrors, remote central locking, dual-zone climate air, eight-speaker audio systems, special dash and door trims, cruise control, trip computer and so on are all standard -- as is the Golf's nifty centre console cupholder with removable bottle opener. Perfect for Coke buddies! The GT also boasts sports front seats with special Brick red/Anthractite cloth trim and the otherwise conventional Golf dash gets a central boost gauge to let you see the twin chargers doing their work.

There's a share of GTI goodies too. The GT benefits from the lowered (15mm) sports suspension of the GTI, though it misses out on the hottest Golf's racer-like flat-bottomed steering wheel. This is replaced by a rather more elegant and traditional round three-spoker.

Wheels and tyres are GTI sized (7 x 17-inch wearing 225/45 Continental SportContact rubber) but unique in design to the GT.

Major options offered include satnav ($2990), sunroof ($1890), park sensors ($790), alarm ($590) and leather upholstery (which includes electric lumbar and seat heating at $2990). Bi-Xenon lamps ($1890) and a centre console CD changer ($790) are also on the list -- the latter is only available in conjunction with the satnav system making it a hefty add-on.

Metallic paint will set you back $690 -- and you guessed it, apart from white and red, the remainder of the six colours VW offers for the GT incur the additional cost.

MECHANICAL
The GT's raison d'etre is under the bonnet -- the supercharged and turbocharged TSI engine. The rest of the conventional front-wheel drive package is near to 100 per cent GTI (see first link above for more).

In the case of the GT, the base powerplant is a 1.4-litre inline four. Based on Volkwagen's EA111 modular engine (used in three and four-cylinder form in various capacities in Polo, Golf and Jetta as well as Seat, Skoda and Audi products), the GT's engine gets a cast-iron block for strength, upgraded internals and a new direct-injection DOHC top-end.

The block and bottom end need to be strong to withstand the race-engine-like levels of boost the TSI engine produces. Peaking at around 2.5 bar, this is more than double the boost of a typical turbocharged engine. Indeed, even at idle, the TSI is registering around 1.8 bar under the huff and puff of the supercharger alone.

The concept of the GT's engine is simple -- the devil's in the details (for a full rundown click here). Essentially, the mechanically driven supercharger provides the engine with off-the-mark and in-gear get up and go while the turbo takes over at higher revs.

Coupled with a high (for a forced induction engine) compression ratio of 10.0:1, the end result is an engine with zero lag -- just plenty of power and heaps of torque, 125kW and more than 200Nm from 1200-6000rpm.

VW equates the powerplant's characteristics to that a conventional engine of around 2.3-litres. Accordingly, it offers the TSI in vehicles such as the Jetta sedan and the Touran peoplemover in its home market. There is no engine capacity badging on the GT.

Oh, and if you're concerned about the longevity of the engine, VW says don't be. It's good for at least 300,000km in the harshest stop-start conditions, it says.

The twincharger's power does not come at the expense of fuel economy, either. VW claims a combined figure of 7.7lt/100km for the Golf GT. At the Aussie launch we recorded 8.9lt/100km over a tight, twisting drive route through the Gold Coast Hinterland, and an impressive 6.6lt/100km on the highway. Along with reduced fuel usage goes reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Being green doesn't mean driving a boring car, it seems.

The GT is happy on 95 RON fuel, says VW.

PACKAGING
At the risk of repeating ourselves, the GT is still largely a conventional five-door Golf with all the attributes that go along with it. Grown in size in its latest Golf V generation (more here), there's room for five (though four's more comfy) and the rear seat features both splitfold and skiport functionality.

Up front the sports seats feature prominent bolsters that work to locate you better when you're enjoying the car's fine chassis. That said, they're plenty comfortable for day-to-day use and don't limit egress like some racey numbers.

There's not much to distinguish the GT from its cooking model siblings and that suits us. It eschews the GTI's grille blackouts but still gets the more purposeful under bumper intakes. There are GT badges front and rear, but they're classy understated signatures.

SAFETY
There's been little scrimping when it comes to safety. The Golf is one of the true benchmarks in the small car marketplace. As well as a thoroughly proven and hefty crash structure, the Golf, and the GT in particular, gets a full complement of active safety aids.

The ABS brakes are ex-GTI and well up to the GT's level of performance. ESP is also standard (incorporating traction control).

On the passive safety front the GT features six airbags (front, front-side and curtains), plus headrests and three-point belts for each seating position.

The GT's spare tyre is a speed and distance limited spacesaver fitted on a steel wheel.

COMPETITORS
Where would you like to start? The small car world has an embarrassment of choice.

In terms of the premium and sporting hatch segment, the Golf targets the top-line variants of all the usual suspects -- the flasher Peugeot 307s, Astra SRi, Mazda3 SP23 and MPS, Megane Sport, even the 'stripper' BMW 1 Series and lower Mercedes-Benz A-Class models.

Other close competitors are Peugeot's new 207 GT and the more expensive MINI Cooper S. VW adds the Subaru Impreza 2.0R to the above list. And then there's the likes of the Focus XR5.

But none of these quite have the blend of high-tech powerplant, performance, anonymity and frugalness of the Golf GT. In this aspect the car is quite unique.

Perhaps the closest competitors to the GT will be its own TDI and GTI stablemates. Indeed, the pricing and overall performance of the GT is such that some buyers may opt for specced-up GT rather than a 'base' GTI. We would…

ON THE ROAD
With ne'er a 1.4 badge anywhere to be seen on the GT, chances are you'll have to break out the owner's manual to convince most first timers that this technological tour de force has less displacement than most serious motorcycles.

Acceleration from rest is brisk accompanied by a slight judder from the clutch with which regular DSG users will be familiar. VW claims a 0-100km/h time of 7.7sec for the DSG equipped model and it certainly feels that fast.

In-gear acceleration is strong too -- aided by the lightning downshifts the DSG places, literally, at your fingertips. But lock the car in, say, fourth gear and the torque the TSI musters even at low revs is quite amazing. There's more than enough oomph to pull the near-1600kg mass of the GT out of slow corners. Save for the fact the TSI engine is happy to keep revving, in this respect the power delivery is very turbodiesel-like.

On the highway, the whole plot is quiet and refined (indeed, the only annoyance was the roar of the Continental SportContacts on coarse chip bitumen). Overtaking urge is on the lively side of good and yet at a 110km/h cruise the GT sips fuel like a sub-compact car. Has VW done the impossible?

According to VW Australia staffers, the GTI's damper and spring settings are carried over to the GT. Our relatively quick road drive of the GT suggested that it was a degree or so more compliant than the hot-shoe model.

Then again, on the tight and twisting track at Mt Cotton Driver Training Centre in Brisbane's southeast, the GT proved taut and terrific -- just like we remember the GTI. Turn-in is quite sharp and understeer well controlled. It's tunable too -- you're able to tighten your line with a quick lift, the transition into oversteer very controllable. Top stuff.

And all this is wrapped up in the practical five-door hatch body that has made Golf a 25-million-unit worldwide success.

Although the GT won't see off its more powerful (and thirstier and dirtier) GTI sibling, the difference is closer than you'd imagine. If the lighter fossil fuel 'footprint' and understated Q-ship looks of the GT are not enough to sway a significant proportion of buyers, the near $5000 difference in price could well be.

A decision to leverage the TSI powerplant in Australia via its inclusion in more GTs and other models (including the upcoming Tiguan compact softroader) must be made soon. We reckon it's a no-brainer…

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Volkswagen Golf GT TSI 2007 Review

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