Posted on: Jul 23, 2012 | 18,127 reads

VW Planning Big Power Boost for Next GTI/GTD

Latest reports indicate GTI moving up to Golf R territory, GTD into GTI's slot with more grunt and economy.

In the Volkswagen Group, one thing tends to lead to another. So when Seat came out with a new Leon, we knew a new VW Golf would follow not far behind. And where there's a new Golf, there's a new GTI. The seventh-generation Golf is set to debut at the Paris show in September, with sales to commence in 2014. The subsequent GTI version is expected to be powered by a 2.0-liter turbo four driving the front wheels just like the current model, but with some vital changes.

VW Planning Big Power Boost for Next GTI/GTD

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The new GTI will still drive through either a six-speed manual or dual-clutch gearbox, but with an electronic front differential allowing it to pack as much as 260 horsepower instead of the current version's 200. That will take the GTI into Golf R territory, either making the more powerful AWD hot hatch obselete or necessitating even more power for the next generation. That's not all that Volkswagen has in store for its hot hatch, however. Reports indicate that a GTD version is also in the works, packing less power (170 hp) but more torque (258 lb-ft) for increases in both low-end grunt and fuel economy.

This wouldn't be the first time Volkswagen had created a Golf GTD, but the new model could stand to be both more powerful and faster than the current 168hp model. And while the current GTD never made it across the Atlantic, the new version could stand to make it big in the United States. Or so we would hope. The models pictured here at the current Golf GTI (red), Golf GTD (silver) and Golf R (blue).