Hello petrolheads! Today’s review is the Status Quo of the small hatchbacks: the Golf. You don’t even say Volkswagen, as surely even your nanny knows what a Golf is. So, instead of losing much time with presentations, let’s focus on what makes this Golf worth of a review: it’s (supposedly) a sports diesel. Yes. A sports diesel. In other words, a diesel-powered hot hatch. Now, I once drove a diesel which could be called sporty – the SEAT Ibiza FR , powered by the iconic 1.9 TDI. That was the only turbocharged diesel I drove to date whose throttle response – within the torque band – rivaled that of a good, normally aspirated petrol. Applied on that small and light body, it made for an entertaining package, despite a ride as hard as its interior plastics… But the Golf GTD is a totally different car. For starters, it’s way heavier. Then there’s the DSG gearbox. Finally, and most importantly, we have a diesel engine which must comply to strict environmental regulat...