The VW Golf GTD Estate Is Here To Give The Focus ST Diesel An Upper Middle-Class Kicking

Perhaps the most intriguing part of the new Ford Focus ST range - which we tried out in Barcelona last week - is the new diesel version, which like the petrol is also available as an estate. Wagon-ified diesel hot hatches aren’t exactly in abundance, after all, but this curiosity has a new rival it’ll need to take on: the Golf GTD estate.

Yep, for the first time, the badge which loosely translates to ‘Golf GTI for frugal folk’ has been afixed to an estate, giving a tempting blend of practicality, economy and performance. The 2.0-litre TDI engine up front is good for 181bhp and 280lb ft of torque, whisking you and whatever clobber you chuck in the generous 605-litre boot from 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds, 0.4sec down on the hatchback.

Officially, it’ll do 64.2mpg on the combined cycle, although our experience with the 181bhp VAG diesel lump in the related Seat Leon would suggest (an admittedly rather decent) real-world 50mpg average is more likely. The suspension is lowered by 15mm compared to a standard Golf estate, and it’s wearing the same honeycomb dental work at the front as the GTD hatch.

There’s no word on pricing just yet, but with Golf estates commanding around an £800 premium over the equivalent hatchbacks, expect this new GTD estate to cost just under £27,000. It’ll go on sale in the UK this April.