Test Drive: 2013 Volkswagen Golf TDI Wolfsburg Edition

By Kevin Harrison

The GTI is undoubtedly among the best of the best in terms of cheap,versatile fun. While it’s no pig on gas either, Volkswagen’s TDI offers much increased efficiency with added fun.

But what if you want both? Well Volkswagen offers the GTD, which is essentially a GTI with a tweaked clean diesel engine. This sounds absolutely idea for most performance enthusiasts. The issue though is that it’s not offered in North America – at least not yet. There are rumours that the GTD will make it to our shores next year.

But what if you need a fun, fuel efficient hatch this year?

That’s where the Golf TDI Wolfsburg edition steps in. If that name sounds familiar, well, it should be. Volkswagen has been producing Wolfsburg edition versions of its Jetta and Golf for a few decades now.

But is this one really good enough to sway buyers from waiting for the GTD?

First things first, you’ll notice almost immediately that this looks like a regular Golf. Only Volkswagen enthusiasts would like notice the unique 17 inch wheels, added chrome bits and slightly lowered stance that the Wolfsburg edition provides visually. On top of that, there are two small ‘Wolfsburg Edition’ badges on top of the front fenders for those who pay extra attention to detail. Otherwise you’ve got yourself a standard Golf through and through visually. It should be noted that while the looks of the Golf in any guise is far from being ugly, the look is starting to look dated and an updated version has already been released in Europe, which we should be getting next year (along with the GTD). This is just something to consider should you be in the market for a Golf.

So, what else does the Wolfsburg edition get you? Well some superbly supportive sport seats for one. Not only are they supportive, but they are also quite comfortable as well –a sometimes rare combo. Those seats are also heated as a part of the Wolfsburg package along with a sunroof and Bluetooth connectivity. On top of that, you’ll get a sport suspension and the rare pleasure of having the vehicle actually built in Wolfsburg Germany, as opposed to Mexico where all ‘regular’ Golfs are now made.

Back inside, the quality of materials is exactly what you’d expect from a Volkswagen, that is to say that everything is up to snuff. My only gripe is that the centre stack and instrument cluster are, like the exterior, really starting to show their age now. With innovative and high tech interiors coming from Ford, and the Koreans, Volkswagen would be well advised to address this with the next generation Golf. Still, the interior is logically laid out. One thing that drives me absolutely nuts – and will drive you nuts too if you have any form of OCD, is the power knob for the stereo, which also doubles as the volume knob. The symbol turns with the knob, so more often than not, it’s upside down, on its side or slightly crooked. If you’re like me, that symbol absolutely needs to be facing right side up but I’m perfectly willing to admit that this kind of insanity is likely only limited to a few of us out there. The dial for the sunroof is another gripe of mine since you have to look up to turn the dial to the setting you want. Obviously, since these are the only two things that I picked out as being an issue with the interior, you can infer that this interior is quite good.

In terms of interior room, the Golf is adequate offering decent headroom and good legroom, depending on who’s sitting in the front seats. In my preferred driving position, there wasn’t much room, but when the passenger seat is set up to comfortably sit most people, there is adequate room for sure. The hatch area is also adequate for most medium sized items with large items being accommodated by folding the rear seats.

The TDI engine gets 140 horsepower with 236 pound foot torque. With those torque figures the Golf will catapult itself forward quite quickly to get you up to speed, the only issue is maintain that speed with the comparatively low horsepower. The average buyer likely won’t have any complaints though as the Golf TDI is rated at 8.6 for a 0-100 time. So this car is certainly no slouch, but with that said, there does appear to be a bit of torque lag. This may have to do with the automatic shifting up quickly so if you take off normally and then gun it, chances are you’ll do it at the same time the transmission is shifting which adds a second or two for it to respond. Speaking of the automatic, my tester came equipped with Volkswagen’s optional DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission which ensured quick, crisp and smooth shifting, which was even more satisfying when shifting the gears yourself but still not nearly as satisfying as a true manual transmission in my opinion. On top of that, a transmission of this caliber should probably get paddle shifters.

In terms of handling, the Wolfsburg package does not disappoint. It feels just as poised and stable in the corners as the GTI does which makes twisty roads tons of fun. The sticky Continental tires that came with my tester probably helped out as well. If you push the Golf a little too much though, things will get out of sorts a bit in the form of under steer, but that’s when Aunt stability control kicks in to make sure you don’t under steer into someone’s front lawn. Feedback to the driver is quite good, but there can be a bit of torque steer off the line.

Being a diesel, you can expect this iteration of the Golf to be inherently fuel efficient. During mostly city driving I averaged 6.6 L/100 kms. The Golf likely would have returned better fuel efficiency if I added in more highway driving since diesels perform best on the highway, but unfortunately my schedule didn’t allow for much time on the highway. Officially the Golf TDI is rated at 6.7 L/100 kms city and 4.6 L/100 kms highway so I actually ended up doing better than the city rating anyway.

And that’s really why, for a performance enthusiast, Volkswagen seems to be among the few that gets it. Sure diesel offerings from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are more impressive and more performance oriented however most enthusiasts, despite having a penchant for speed, tend to be rather subdued when it comes to their own purchases. As an all-rounder, I can’t think of any other vehicle that blends quality, versatility, performance, value and fuel efficiency so well into one package. At least not until the GTD arrives.

Price As Tested: $28,375

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