VW Golf GTD-04

We first saw the Mk7 Volkswagen Golf GTD earlier this year, where it debut at the Geneva show. The GTD is the "diesel GTI" and is very popular in Europe where oil burners rule - GTI style and performance with diesel economy makes for a compelling package. Here are some freshly released on-location images of the Golf GTD from its media drive in Europe.

The "Gran Turismo Diesel" is powered by a 2.0 litre TDI engine unit that pushes out 184 PS and 380 Nm of torque between 1,750 and 3,250 rpm. The century sprint is accomplished in 7.5 seconds, while top speed is 227 km/h. The performance figures aren't very far from its more exciting petrol sister, and with 30 Nm extra, the GTD should be very easy to drive fast.

VW Golf GTD-13

The latest GTD has 14 PS and 30 Nm more than the Mk6 GTD, and it does the benchmark century sprint six tenths faster, while being more economical.

Speaking of economy, the main point of the GTD is this - fuel consumption of just 4.2 litres per 100 km (23.8 km/l) for the six-speed manual and 4.7 litres per 100 km (21.3 km/l) for the six-speed DSG, which is nothing short of amazing when you take into account the performance on tap. CO2 emissions (very important in Europe) stand at just 109 g per km for the stick shift GTD.

All the red bits in the GTI is in black for the GTD, including the tartan seat pattern called "Clark." The fancy navi you see below is the optional Car Net for transmitting online information such as Google Earth map services.