Road Test: Volkswagen Golf GT TSI

Review by Peter Maniatis - 13/July/2007

It looks like a sporty European hatch, drives like a sporty European hatch and, well, it is a sporty European hatch. But with one very significant difference - it's powered by a tiny 4-cylinder petrol engine, one that delivers good fuel economy.

How good? Very good. As low as 7.0L/100km on the combined city and highway cycle if you drive it smoothly.

This is the Golf GT with TSI technology and it's doing a roaring trade in Europe at the moment. But is Australia ready for this new age TSI engine treatment? Most definitely. I think a lot of people - if they can get past the techno-babble of TSI - will really warm to the twin-charger TSI idea.

The concept of strong performance and low emissions will resonate with a lot of new car buyers.

Diesel is being taken up by more and more passenger car buyers, yet it still only makes up a small percentage of the new car market in Australia. Drivers we talk to are increasingly concerned about lowering their running/fuel costs and doing their bit for the environment, but diesel still seems to be a no-no for a majority of buyers. 

This is exactly where TSI technology comes in, providing diesel-like levels of fuel efficiency by combining the economy of a 1.4-litre engine with performance capabilities of forced induction (via supercharging and turbocharging). This car is as flexible to drive as any small diesel passenger car out there. It'll cost you about $5,000 more than a comparative diesel hatchback the size of the Golf, but the extra bucks buys you higher levels of performance and lots of safety features. It's quieter than a diesel too.

Priced from $34,990 for the manual model, we tested the $37,990 version which is fitted with Volkswagen's ingenious DSG, or direct shift gearbox. It feels as quick as the Golf GTI, but uses far less fuel, has lower carbon emissions, and because the DSG is one of these advanced semi-auto gearboxes, it delivers manual-like quick shifts but with the beauty of relaxed one-handed driving that automatics offer.

There's a strong argument for adopting TSI and similar technologies in Australia, because we're still not quite comfortable with diesel passenger cars. You can be sure that other car makers will develop similar systems in future, but at the moment the Golf GT has the ultra-efficient petrol car market cornered.

At ease both in the city and on fast corners, the 1.4-litre Golf GT TSI has a lot going for it

Engine: VW 1.4-litre Inline 4-cylinder TSI The transversely mounted inline 4-cylinder engine has a 1.4-litre (1390cc) capacity, with a cast iron block and  aluminium alloy cylinder heads. Dual overhead camshafts (DOHC) actuate 4-valves per cylinder. The direct injected petrol-powered motor uses a turbocharger, supercharger, and an air-to-air intercooler to boost power and has an 10.0:1 compression ratio and prefers 98 RON premium unleaded petrol when filling the 55 litre fuel tank. Max Power: 125kW @ 6000rpm Max Torque: 240Nm @ 1750 - 4500rpm 0-100km/h: 7.7 seconds Top Speed: 218km/h

The Golf GT TSI has a clean and fuss-free cabin (note: satellite navigation costs extra)

Quick, punchy and tight. For the money, the VW Golf GT is just about everything you need in a runabout town car. It's stylish, comfortable and very functional. There's enough superlatives to drive you batty, but the truth of the matter is that the GT is hard to disparage.

The price may be prohibitive for a lot of buyers, but this is fairly new technology, and will become more affordable in time.

During our week long test it proved to be a great city car; easy to park, easy to steer, and with a low environmental and monetary impact (relatively speaking) thanks to its 1.4-litre engine. Yet it is delivers a good deal of performance via its TSI technology, with strong acceleration that will keep performance minded drivers on side as well.

The TSI technology combines two systems that used to be the domain of dragsters, hot rods and street racers - supercharging and turbocharging. But the implementation of these two systems in tandem is seamlessly integrated into this 1.4-litre engine. It's smooth as silk.

You never feel it switching between turbo and supercharging - you just sink the foot and the car powers ahead. One of the things that initially surprised me was the smooth power delivery. I was expecting turbo lag and at least a touch jerkiness as this is new technology, but it's smooth sailing. Even when it's cold after being ignited in the mornings it didn't sputter.

I find the Volkswagen range of Golfs, Jettas and Passats totally stepping up to the mark by way of design, materials, style and drive-ability. Their badge value improves with every new model along with the quality of the cars. 

This Golf is no different. Apart from a tighter suspension and the added engine power from the twin charger technology, the GT looks and feels similar to your everyday Golf. The interior is functional, but doesn't have the sparkle of the GTI. I had a red test car and it looked hot, but apart from the larger wheels it's a common looking vehicle.

The area where this Golf GT really stands out is behind the wheel. The automatic DSG - a dual clutch tiptronic gearing system - is absolutely spot on. For the kinds of duties it will see regularly, and on a day-to-day basis, it works diligently and effectively.

It's also more efficient than a traditional automatic gearbox, and the shifts are much faster. But it's not abrupt. It also has a neat 'launch control' feature that allows you fire off from standing starts amid all sorts of tyre screeching madness.

In sports mode, it actually drives like a genuine sports car with a manual gear box. I mean, it holds the gear and keeps the revs high and will eagerly drop back a gear if possible. On the up changes it rarely changes that fraction too soon, but holds it that bit longer so you squeeze every last kilowatt from the engine. 

The gearbox can also sense when you are a bit tired of paddling it around with the steering wheel mounted shifters, and will automatically revert back to auto mode. But with a touch of the paddles you are back into manual mode, with one-fingered gear changes that really allow you to work the car hard.

In most other paddle shift transmissions you feel that the transmission is somewhat misaligned with the engine torque and rev range, and especially with some less sophisticated automatics: you hit the shifter, and a half second later the gearbox responds. Not so with this DSG. It's almost instantaneous. I tell you, this transmission just felt right. 

I am a big fan of manual gear boxes in 4-cylinder cars but this transmission has made me a convert to the twin clutch scenario.

It was quite amazing to drive. I kept thinking "1.4-litres? Surely not". With strong acceleration it always feels like it has a much larger powerplant underneath the engine hood.

It makes 125kW of power which is pretty good, but it's the torque, the pulling power that's really felt when you accelerate hard. The small 4-cylinder engine makes 240Nm of torque @ 1750rpm, all of which is very accessible.

The engine also works well when your drive it hard. It never feels out of breath. The supercharger and turbo increased the driving fun with oodles of torque from low engine revs right to the top end. It's an absolute delight to drive enthusiastically, and there's even a little boost gauge that tells you when the turbo and supercharger are hitting their collective stride.

When you're not searching for twists and turns to put the GT through it's lengthy paces, it's as quiet and refined as it is fuel efficient. During the first few days of commuter driving in medium density stop start traffic, we recorded 8.2L/100km and it dropped to as low as 7.0L/100km after some freeway kilometres. That's impressive.

Volkswagen's official fuel consumption figure for the Golf GT is 7.7L/100km. The GT will accept 95 RON petrol with a slight drop in power, and prefers 98 RON or premium fuel grades.

Fuel economy was surprisingly good, but towards the end of the seven day test it did rise a bit higher – perhaps I should have taken this car in and out of town more gently than I did? It was a case of easier said than done. It's just to eager to please!

The suspension is skewed towards sports driving, with good body control that allows you really explore the engine's upper ranges through corners, and is a lot of fun.

Matched to the sports suspension are equally sporty 17-inch alloy BBS wheels equipped with generous 225/45 R17 tyres that give the car lots of grip. It rarely felt like it was going to slide off the road, and even then the ESP system would have caught it first. It has the look of a sporty European hatch as well, with twin front fog lights, a dual rear exhaust and the muscular 17-inch wheels all adding to the Golf's trendy style. It's not as cool as the GTI, but it's not dead pan either.

While I acknowledge that the car is a bit sporty (who would have thought with a badge like GT?), it doesn't trade off all its compliance for performance. 

We spent a lot of time commuting to and from work and through built up areas and it turns out to be a very comfortable car with no great shortcomings in terms of ride. It delivers a generally smooth and relaxed ride, unless you hit a bump at higher speeds which is when you'll feel the suspension bump you a bit more than usual.

Standard features for this model correspond to its increased price, so you're not left wondering where all your cash went. It gets six airbags which include fron/rear curtain airbags, plus a non-intrusive and switchable ESP system. The safety suite is rounded up with ABS and EBD and the because the car is not huge, the brakes are feel strong as well.

The standard issue seats are of the "sports cloth" variety, and things like rain-sensing windscreen wipers, climate controlled air conditioning, electric windows and mirrors, and a half-decent CD stereo also make the grade. Leather seats are optional, as is sat nav, a sunroof and trendy white xenon headlights. There's no flat-bottomed steering wheel like in the Golf GTI, but you do get steering wheel controls. The interior is quite plain really, but everything is quite neat and ergonomic. The materials and plastics used feel better than average. It's neither great nor terrible - but very functional at least.

An absolutely buzz around town, and even more fun out on the open road, the Golf GT has a lot of spirit for its size. You really need to take this car for a drive to understand how torquey and powerful the twin-charging TSI makes this little car. That combined with an exhaust note that belonged to a small V8 makes you feel like you are in a genuine sports car – but with with a 'best of both world' engine under the hood.

Overall: 3.5/5

Even if you don't plan on buying one of these astounding small cars, take one for a test drive if you can. And then tell yourself you're driving a 4-cylinder car with an engine that's smaller a bread basket. It'll blow your socks off. I do think the price may turn some buyers away, especially if engine size is important.

But hopefully that doesn't stymie interest too much as this car is an intelligent solution to modern day motoring.

It's fuel efficient, it's attractive, and it's a hoot to drive. I wasn't expecting a 1.4-litre petrol engine to be so energetic, but it absolutely boots along. This TSI technology has huge potential for petrol passenger car markets, by offering strong performance while keeping emissions and fuel consumption low. If you like the Golf look, the GT is well priced for what you get and is a very capable around-town hatchback that is every bit a European design. 

If you take one for a test drive, just be sure to hold on tight.