The VW and Audi aftermarket specialists at ABT Sportsline decided that the 184PS Golf 7 GTD is neither powerful, nor sporty-looking enough, so they set out to customize it with a power upgrade and an aerodynamic kit to alleviate the problem.
“The objective was to make this compact diesel even sportier. Our ABT Golf VII GTD is a very, very stylish power package,” says Hans-Jürgen Abt, CEO of the world’s largest tuner of cars produced by the Volkswagen Group.
We don’t know if “very stylish package” is the appropriate term to describe the ABT Golf GTD, but we have to admit ABT did manage to make the Golf GTD look more aggressive by applying aerodynamic elements such as the front spoiler and grille, side skirts and trunk lid attachment (almost identical to their Golf GTI tune).
The headlights also received thin eyelids, while the mirrors are fitted with different covers. At the back, the four-pipe exhaust and rear skirt insert contribute to a more menacing look, as do the 18- or 19-inch alloy wheels available.
Getting to the mechanical part, ABT Power upgraded the 2.0-liter diesel engine from 184 PS (181 hp) to 210 PS (207 hp), with torque also going up from 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) to 430 Nm (317 lb-ft). ABT Sportsline doesn’t say how the increased power and torque influence the 0 to 100 km/h sprint and top speed of the GTD, but we’re going to assume both are improved.
For the record, the standard Golf GTD accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 229 km/h (142 mph).
By Dan Mihalascu
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