We’ve said farewell to our Golf GT TSI and replaced it with…another Golf.

But there is a good reason. We’re now testing the GTD TDI – the diesel ‘hot hatch’ equivalent of the GTI.

It’s a much more sensible choice for company car drivers than the GTI with CO2 emissions of 109g/km on the manual. That’s 25g/km lower than the previous GTD’s best (134g/km).

Fuel economy is 67.3mpg on the combined cycle and I’m currently averaging around 50mpg. However, I’ve only done just over 400 miles to date and I’ve yet to put the GTD to the test on a long run.

The GTD has all the sporty touches you would expect from a ‘hot hatch’, including 18-inch alloy wheels, rear roof spoiler, chrome twin exhaust tailpipes, stainless steel foot pedals and sports seats. Plus the suspension has been lowered by 15mm.

Like our previous Golf GT, the GTD comes with a driver profile selection, allowing you choose from ‘eco’, ‘sport’, ‘normal’ and ‘individual’ driving modes. Opting for sport leads to a throaty exhaust note as our model has been specified with the ‘sport and sound pack’. It might seem like a must have option for a hot hatch but it will set you back £255.

Our GTD also has Volkswagen’s self-parking function ( for £150), called Park Assist, which I was fan of on the GT model. Front and rear parking sensors are standard.

Safety has not been forgotten. Standard features include a Driver Alert System (which senses when you become drowsy and need to take a break), Front Assist (which warn you if get too close to the vehicle in front, can prime the brakes and operates at speeds of up to 99mph), City Emergency Braking (which can automatically brake the vehicle at speed below 18mph), and radar-operated cruise control.