Quick Drive: Volkswagen Golf GT

Review by Feann Torr - 18/May/2007

It's hard to believe, but in Australia the best selling Golf model is not the entry-level 1.6-litre version but the high performance GTI model, which is powered by a gutsy 2.0-litre turbo engine. It's priced from just under $40,000, which speaks volumes not only about the value the car represents, but also the Australian love affair with the modern hot hatch.

But now GTI owners may have some tough decisions to make as the new GT model arrives Down Under priced at $34,990, offering similar levels of performance but with dramatically reduced fuel consumption. How is this possible? 

Volkswagen calls it TSI technology.

Powered by a 1.4-litre block with serious levels of performance, the Golf GT's "TSI" 4-cylinder engine heralds a new era in engine design that has taken European drivers by storm: some 60,000 TSI powered Volkswagens have been sold in Europe in the last 12 months, which is a very high take up rate for what is essentially a brand-new technology. 

And now, a year after its European debut, we are finally able to experience what Volkswagen calls TSI technology, or twin charging, in Australia. 

Slotted in underneath the Golf GTI and above the naturally aspirated 2.0-litre model is the all-new Golf GT which has just been launched here, and it's rather special for a few reasons - but chiefly its best-of-both-world's twin-charged engine.

It combines the fuel efficiency of a small 4-cylinder engine and combines two methods of forced induction which elevate the power and acceleration levels beyond what was ever achievable with a small capacity engine. 

And the best bit? It really works.

Volkswagen has taken a small 1.4-litre engine - smaller than some motorcycle engines - and has added an intercooler, a supercharger (or kompressor as it's referred to in German) and a turbocharger and somehow made it all very usable in the new Golf GT, with the end result being an engine that feels much larger and more muscular with a decent performance hit, while giving the car the kind of fuel economy that has been impossible to attain in a performance petrol engine.

We have just returned from driving the first models to reach Australia, so without further ado, let's a take a look at this dynamic new technology:

Before we get to the details of twin charging and the implications that this new technology will have on new car markets, let me just say that the Golf GT is a very driveable car. Like its more famous cult-car sibling, the Golf GTI, this new model is every inch a hot hatch. 

It's got 15mm lowered suspension which lowers its centre of gravity, it borrows the GTI's suspension/damper settings, sits on large 17-inch alloy wheels fitted with wide 225/45 profile tyres, has twin exhaust outlets, a body kit, and a roof spoiler.

It certainly looks the part, and after driving the car along winding roads in Queensland up in the hills just outside Brisbane, it also feels the part. 

Ride quality in the Golf GT isn't too bad, and it managed to keep the potholes in the road from bouncing the whole car around too much. It feels somewhat more compliant than the GTI which will suit those drivers with long commutes, but only a head-to-head comparo would reveal the finer differences in ride quality. 

The handling is also very good - it has an entirely sporty feel that GTI drivers will recognise very quickly, and is very light on its feet and capable of changing directions without slewing from side to side too much. The brakes are very strong as well, and proved more than able to slow the car down from high speeds both at the Mount Cotton closed circuit and on the Queensland roads, and the car never felt for a moment as though it needed more deceleration.

The car exhibits low levels of body roll through corners, which inspires a high level of confidence when you decide to get a move on. Even when the heavens opened and the rain started falling, the car felt very planted and when the ESP did fire up to ensure the car never slid across the wet-soaked roads, it was never too intrusive and still afforded the driver a good deal of control. 

But in addition to the car's pleasantly balanced ride and handling, the engine is the single most impressive aspect of the new car. If I were to tell my mates I was driving around in a 1.4-litre hatch they'dlambast me to no end and rib me about it for days. But this isn't your average 1.4-litre four banger, and it will surprise a lot of drivers with its strong pulling power.

Peak power of 125kW is about equal to the power of the Mazda3 SP23 (which has a 2.3-litre engine), and because of its dynamic TSI technology the Golf GT's engine has huge reserves of low end torque that would dwarf even a similarly sized diesel engine. 

Some 200Nm of torque hits the skids at 1200rpm thanks to the roots-type supercharger that begins shunting more air into the combustion chamber barely after you've hit the throttle, and this rises to 240Nm @ 1750rpm-4500rpm, which is just staggering for a petrol engine of this size.

The Golf GT accelerates fairly strongly from standstill, and feels far more like a turbocharged 1.8 or 2.0-litre engine than a tiny 1.4-litre mill. It even spins the front wheels when you use the clever launch control system that is part and parcel of the automatic DSG (dual shift gearbox), but the power is not so raw that it upsets the cars attitude when accelerating through corners. 

There's a small boost gauge located between the speedometer and tachometer on instrument dial to let you know when the supercharger or the turbo is working - which is most of the time as we discovered.

Powerful? Without a doubt. Yet it's relatively fuel efficient at the same time.

Volkswagen claims an average fuel consumption rate of 7.7 litres per 100km (7.7L/100km) on the combined city/highway cycle and though we didn't average a figure quite that low - we were too busy punching out of corners under full throttle and marvelling at the strong power delivery - we did record consumption numbers of well under 7.0 litres per 100km when cruising on the Pacific Highway at speeds of around 110km/h. 

The Golf GT prefers premium quality petrol but will run on 95 RON petrol with a slight drop in power, and even 91 RON petrol won't destroy the engine and can be used if nothing else is available.

All the models we tested at the car's launch were the $37,290 DSG model, and it proved once again to be both easygoing on the highway and decisively quick on sweeping mountain passes. Volkswagen will only be importing 420 Golf GT's into Australia initially, of which about 300 will be DSG-equipped models. 

Like the larger Golf R32 and other models equipped with this super-rapid dual clutch gearbox the new GT has a launch control system which holds the engine at 4000rpm in neutral and then unleashes the power when you take the foot off the brake, and VW says the 0-100km/h dash takes 7.7 seconds (7.9 in the 6-speed manual), but I reckon that on the road it felt slightly quicker than this claim.

The German manufactured Continental tyres (225/45 R17s) go a long way to giving the car its solid and secure on-road feel, and in combination with the sporty suspension the VW Golf GT responds very well in fast corners and has loads of grip, with only slight levels of body roll and increasing levels of under steer depending on how fast you throw it into a corner. 

In terms of sheer fun, the GT offers great value for money but is also a very practical vehicle as well.

This new TSI technology is fast, frugal, and when matched to the Golf it makes for a very good drive. We even had a few laps at a closed circuit and on the short straight the car had no trouble reaching very high speeds - a top speed of more 200km/h isn't out of the question: how many 1.4-litre cars can boast that? 

The engine can rev to 7000rpm and has a cast iron engine block (crank case) for durability and because the forced induction systems pump high levels of boost pressure - up to a manic 2.5 bar (36 psi) - the intake manifold is made from steel instead of cast iron which gives it a higher heat threshold. The supercharger is a small roots-type unit from Eaton, while the turbocharger is from BorgWarner. 

The system works by operating an mechanically driven supercharger at lower revs, which is engaged and disengaged via an electromagnetic clutch, and then an exhaust gas-driven turbocharger kicks in at higher revs, which allows for increased power across the rev range with virtually no 'lag' in torque delivery. 

As well as this TSI or twin-charger technology, the 1.4-litre engine also has direct petrol injection that also improves fuel efficiency and allows a high (for a turbo/supercharged car) 10:1 compression ratio. The supercharger takes just 40 milliseconds to begin its charging, and even at higher engine speeds it is often activated to aid the turbocharger's operation, which improves overtaking response. 

You'd be forgiven for thinking this vehicle was the Golf GTI, such is the urgency of the power it delivers, and this could lead to Golf GT sales cannibalising GTI sales. But Volkswagen is confident this won't occur. 

But what about copycat technology from its rivals? Niels Moeller, the TSI project leader, says that similar technology from other car makers is about 2 years away, which gives Volkswagen a handy lead time to establish itself not only as a technology leader in fuel efficient petrol engines, but also thepioneer of mainstream twin charging.

On the road, there are very few non-turbo 2.0-litre cars that could match the performance of this tenacious 1.4-litre Golf GT, and Volkswagen has even listed the differences between its own models, the Golf 2.0 FSI and new Golf GT 1.4 TSI. As well as having a higher top speed, a quicker 0-100km/h acceleration time and better fuel economy, the GT also produces less C02 than its 2.0-litre sibling which will ensure it finds many new friends who are concerned about climate change. The GT develops 125kW of power compared to the 2.0 FSI's 110kW, and 240Nm of torque compared to 200Nm, which highlights how effective this TSI technology is at augmenting a small sized engine.

The inherent nature of smaller turbocharged engines means that turbo lag is often an issue and can make throttle response lax as the car responds sluggishly to throttle input, yet the 1.4-litre TSI engine exhibits none of this because the supercharger comes online so quickly and the turbo takes over when the revs rise. There's boost almost everywhere, and it makes the Volkswagen Golf GT surprisingly responsive as a result. There is a transitional stage where both the turbo and supercharger run at the same time, but it's almost impossible to tell when they switch over as the power delivery is remarkably smooth.

Being a Volkswagen Golf, the GT model inherits all that is good about its donor car, including impressive levels of interior room - particularly head and leg room - easy operability, and dashing looks. As mentioned, the GT also handles very nicely through corners and isn't too bad on the open road either.

Standard features for this model don't disappoint either, with six airbags, ESP, climate controlled air conditioning, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, ABS, sports cloth seats, electric windows and mirrors, and a fairly good CD stereo. It doesn't get the funky flat-bottomed steering wheel of the Golf GTI, nor much of the fancy detailing, but it does get the steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters with DSG models and BBS 17-inch alloy wheels which is pretty good. Options will include things like xenon headlights, a sunroof, and leather seats.

If you're keen to purchase one of these innovative new vehicles, you may want to move quickly as Volkswagen is applying a bit of a 'wait and see' approach with this new TSI technology in Australia - hence only 420 units will be offered at first. I reckon it'll be quite a popular model in the longrun, and depending on how quickly this limited number of GTs sell, Volkswagen will make a decision as to its future in due course. 

Conclusion

The TSI technology that backends the Golf GT is supremely impressive, and represents a paradigm shift in the way we look at petrol engines. It used to be the case where if you wanted more power, you either had to increase engine size, or add a turbocharger and sacrifice driveability.

Not anymore.

For such a small engine to develop so much power was unheard of until now, and I think that when Australian drivers get to test drive the new TSI-enhanced models and experience for themselves the prodigious power levels and high fuel efficiency rates, they may never want to go back to cars with conventional engines. In Europe the 1.4-litre TSI engine is currently used in a number of different vehicles, including the Touran and Golf Plus, and has proven wildly popular in Spain and Italy where vehicles under 1.5-litres in capacity get tax and insurance breaks. But even without such incentives I think Australian drivers will appreciate the benefits this new technology can provide.