2015 Range Rover Sport SVR first drive: A true track-ready off-road machine

The Mercedes G63 AMG gets a competitor in the super-ute category

What is it?

How ‘bout the SUV with the “broadest range of capability” on Earth? That’s how Land Rover describes its new Range Rover Sport SVR, and it’s not getting a lot of argument from us. The SVR is pretty swanky, to boot.

The 2015 Range Rover Sport SVR is an evolution of the Range Rover Sport introduced for 2014, and a noteworthy evolution at that. It’s the first Range Rover badged “R,” and the first vehicle from Jaguar Land Rover’s new Special Operations group. It’s also the fastest, most powerful Range Rover ever.

Special Operations was created in June, 2014 with its own tech center in the UK Midlands, under the direction of Paul Newsome—recruited from Williams Advanced Engineering (as in Formula One). It’s a captive tuner for JLR in the mold of Mercedes AMG or BMW M, yes, but Special Operations is more. It will also build custom-order bespoke vehicles, manage heritage and restoration through a new vintage workshop in Browns Lane, Coventry, and develop ultra-swanky, ultra-luxurious vehicles for serial production, including the Range Rover SVAutobiography introduced at the New York auto show. The Range Rover Sport SVR is Special Operations’ first vehicle to market.

The SVR has distinctive leather sports seats with bolstering more common in high-performance cars. Photo by Land Rover

The SVR tweaks start under its aluminum hood, where power and torque increase 40 hp and 41 lb-ft thanks to an uprated 5.0-liter supercharged V8 (to 550 horsepower, 502 pound-feet peak). The gain is a function of more supercharger boost and a new Switchable Active Sports Exhaust, which makes the SVR sound more like a Jaguar F-Type than a Range Rover under full-throttle, with the same cackle under deceleration.

With the power increase, the SVR’s eight-speed torque-converter automatic is reprogrammed. Shifts are 50 percent quicker, according to Range Rover. The control program takes greater account of throttle gradients, brake inputs and lateral acceleration loads in its shift strategy, and it blips the throttle during downshifts.

Suspension upgrades include re-profiled air springs, more aggressive Active Roll Control (Range Rover’s replacement for conventional anti-roll bars) and re-tuned adaptive shocks, which deliver a broader range of damping rates and a higher peak. Bushings are stiffer, and Range Rover says the SVR raises peak lateral acceleration 20 percent compared to the standard Sport--on the SVR’s standard all-season Continental tires. The Brembo brake package adds 15-inch rotors in front and six-piston calipers. The standard SVR wheels measure 21 inches in diameter, with optional 22s.

The Range Rover Sport SVR produces 550 hp at 6,500 rpm and 502 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. Photo by Land Rover

The performance tweaks are the sort one expects from a manufacturer’s captive tuner, and to good effect. The SVR sprints from zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, according to Range Rover, with a top speed of 162 mph. The company claims that during more than 1000 development laps around the Nürburgring’s 13-mile Nordschleife, the SVR turned a best lap of 8 minutes, 14 seconds. For reference, that’s quicker than published times for an impressive range of cars, including the BMW 1 Series M, the Lexus IS-F and the current Chevy Camaro SS.  

But remember: the SVR is a Range Rover, and its air suspension still provides a couple inches of ride-height adjustment. It comes with a dual-range transfer case and locking differentials. With 21.5 inches of wheel articulation and a 33.5-inch wading depth, the SVR delivers off-road advantages SUVs like a BMW X5 M or Porsche Cayenne Turbo S can’t match.

On the outside, this Rover gets what will be SVR’s signature look: A gloss-black finish for the front and rear valances and various other aero and trim pieces. In front, the intakes are larger to feed more air to the intercoolers and help cool the brakes. The SVR’s deeper, more aggressive lower front bumper can be removed for off-roading.

The SVR's range-topping 5.0-liter supercharged V8 gets more boost in this application. Photo by Land Rover

Inside, the SVR gets unique sport seats and standard Dark Engine Turned Aluminum trim, or the full carbon-fiber treatment for an extra $2,300. The rear seat is more sculpted than that in the standard Sport—more like individual buckets that replicate the front seats, with a flat spot in the center and individually reclining backs. The rear seats still fold more or less flat, opening 62.2 cubic feet of cargo volume.

The Range Rover Sport SVR debuts this summer at $110,475, plus a $995 destination charge. Add about $15,000 for all the standard options, and it’s still $30,000 less than the least expensive 2016 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S.

The SVR weighs in at 5,158 pounds, but moves like a much lighter vehicle. Photo by Land Rover

How's it drive?

Like a very powerful SUV with an almost amazing breadth of capability. Range Rover’s introduction at the Monticello Motor Club in New York demonstrated as much.

It started in hills and fields adjacent to the race track—flooded in spots to create ponds and mud bogs for good measure. With ride height maxed upward and the transfer case in low range, the SVR inched-up up loose, 40-degree hills, and then back down. It crawled laterally across and around those inclines without sweat, or over big rocks, and it forded water two feet deep and flung yuck up its flanks as it rolled through six inches of mud. And thanks to hill-descent control and other electronic wizardry, it went down the hills without brake or throttle intervention and up or around or through with only modest awareness of momentum on the driver’s part, no special off-road technique necessary. It was only a hint of what the SVR might do with more purpose-specific tires.

Then, after a pause to hose-off the mud and up-inflate the all-season tires, the same SVR pulled onto the paved road circuit at Monticello and flew.

The bucket-like rear seats offer additional lateral support during driving. Photo by Land Rover

A lot faster than anyone really needs to go in an SUV. The re-tuned transmission is plenty aggressive in full automatic operation on track. It kicks down readily and holds gears through corners, and it’s never in a hurry to shift up. It picks and keeps the right gear. And if you actually shift manually, it’s never going to override your wishes, unless you think you can downshift to second at about 130 mph.

You’ll definitely feel the SVR’s mass and height, though the impression might have been exaggerated running laps the same trip in a 2016 F-Type. The SVR still tracks unflappably at what feels like a full lateral g through sweepers. The height actually makes it easier to hit the turn-in points and apexes, and it contributes to a feeling of confidence in the driver’s seat.

The default torque split is 50 percent front, 50 rear, but Range Rover says it has tuned a little more rear-wheel bias into the SVR. It’s nonetheless the front wheels that tend to lose traction first, though the understeer is never excessive. The steering feels nice, making it easy to read the push, and it’s accurate. The SVR is always controllable and consistent, and really quite amazing for a big box on wheels. Whether or not a Porsche Cayenne Turbo delivers more pleasing transient response or racier reactions on a track, we’re not able to say. The smaller, lighter Porsche Macan GTS does, and we’re pretty sure that counts as an SUV. 

During testing and development, the SVR recorded a Nordschleife lap time of just 8 minutes 14 seconds, a staggeringly fast time for a production SUV. Photo by Land Rover

We’re less sure what formula weighs a slight gain or loss in race-track performance against more or less capability on rocky hills or muddy trails, but like we said—we’re not arguing. The Range Rover SVR makes a solid case for the broadest range of performance among current SUVs.

Then there’s the job most buyers are likely to use the SVR to complete, which is getting from place to place on freeways, boulevards and streets through crowded city centers. In this context, the SVR’s air suspension never feels close to stiff. With the exhaust in its tame mode, it’s nice and quiet. The expansive greenhouse and commanding view out keep the driver on top of just about everything, with the dynamic response to react to anything—or to deal with pestering, bad-mannered wankers in their annoying 435is. There’s a lot of space and true British luxury, pragmatically presented in high style. The SVR makes great road transport, especially for a group, and it’s very useful in the practical sense. 

Whether or not you’ve climbed aboard the SUV wagon, it’s easy to understand the value in breadth of capability, and the appeal of a Range Rover Sport SVR.

The Range Rover Sport SVT manages to be as good off-road as it is on the track -- a remarkable achievement. Photo by Land Rover

Do I want it?

If you want the broadest range of capability in an SUV, why not?

Even if you don’t want an SUV, you have to like what’s going on at Jag LR--including the establishment of a Special Operations office to build vehicles like the Range Rover Sport SVR. Credit goes to the Indian conglomerate Tata. JLR has finally found a home, with a parent company that seems to understand each brand’s strengths and is willing to spend appropriately to exploit them.

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2016 Chevrolet Camaro Prototype Drive: Early Indications Are, Um, Positive

When the current, fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro arrived as a 2010 model, it ended the nameplate’s seven-year absence from the market and finally banished the Camaro’s image as a crude muscle car. With its independent rear suspension, solid structure, and strong powertrains, the fifth-generation Camaro was thoroughly modern.

Yes, it was still large and heavy, and its high beltline combined with its chopped roof gave it somewhat of a cartoonish image and compromised visibility. But it successfully incorporated cues from the original, 1960s Camaro and was instantly recognizable, and appreciated, by Chevy enthusiasts. Not only did the fifth-gen model sell well over half a million copies during its six-year production run, but it also outsold its crosstown rival, the Ford Mustang, for the first time in memory.

Unmistakably a Camaro

As a result, Chevrolet has concluded that Camaro buyers aren’t looking for styling innovation. “From every angle, you’ll never mistake this for anything but a Camaro,” says Tom Peters, Camaro design director. That’s for sure, but the new model also looks both more muscular than before and a bit cleaner. For example, the pseudo vents punched into the sheetmetal forward of the rear wheels are gone, but the dip in the middle of the roof is more pronounced. This seems opposite to the direction that Ford has taken with its new Mustang, which is decidedly busier looking than its predecessor.

The close aesthetic resemblance between the gen-five and gen-six Camaros might suggest that the new car is simply an upgraded version of its predecessor, but nothing could be further from the truth. While the old model was built on GM’s Zeta platform, which originated in Australia and also underpinned the late Pontiac G8—and the current Chevrolet SS—the new Camaro is built on GM’s Alpha platform, which debuted on the Cadillac ATS three years ago.

The Alpha platform is both stiff and light. As a result, the new Camaro’s body-in-white—basically the bare body shell before any suspension, interior, or exterior panels are attached—weighs 133 pounds less than the previous-gen equivalent.

An aluminum dashboard crossbar saves a further nine pounds, and the suspension is 26 pounds lighter thanks to extensive use of aluminum and carefully optimized steel components. Overall, the Camaro SS is said to shed about 200 pounds despite a slightly heavier upgraded V-8 engine, while the Camaro LT is more than 300 pounds lighter, according to Chevy, thanks to the new standard four-cylinder engine. We’re looking forward to quantifying the weight savings on our own scales soon.

New Base Four

Lest you be alarmed that this portends a return to the gutless, “Iron Duke”–powered Camaros of yesteryear, the new base engine is the 2.0-liter turbocharged four used in the ATS, developing 275 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. It will be available with either a Tremec TR3160 six-speed manual or GM’s new 8L45 eight-speed automatic—a smaller version of the 8L90 that debuted in the Corvette. It weighs 33 pounds less than its beefier big brother. Chevy promises that zero-to-60 times for the four-cylinder Camaro will be in the five-second range, with EPA highway fuel economy said to land in the 30s.

The middle engine option will be the company’s new 3.6-liter V-6. This engine is a thorough redo of the existing V-6 with its cylinders spread farther apart, a slightly larger bore, a quieter cam-drive system, and variable displacement. It’s lighter than the previous V-6 and will develop 335 horsepower and 284 lb-ft; it also will be available with both transmissions.

The SS model will come with the LT1 V-8, the latest iteration of the small-block V-8 that was introduced in the C7 Corvette Stingray. With direct fuel injection and variable cam timing, it provides an excellent combination of power and efficiency. It will also come with manual and automatic transmissions, the Tremec TR6060 and the GM 8L90. You’ll note that those are beefier versions of both transmissions to match the V-8's output of 455 horsepower and 455 lb-ft, increases of 29 hp/35 lb-ft over today’s LS3 V-8 and 55 hp/45 lb-ft versus the current L99 engine.

Preview Drive

We had no opportunity to drive the SS V-8, but we did get a few minutes behind the wheel of both manual and automatic LT V-6 models on the ride-and-handling loop at GM’s Milford Proving Ground.

Unfortunately, the development cars had so many squeaks and rattles that it was impossible to determine if they were any more refined than the perfectly-screwed-together fifth-gen cars on hand for comparison. In fact, these examples, at the end of their production cycle, were as smooth and quiet as any Camaros we’d ever driven.

However, we did determine that the TR3160 manual transmission is a smooth and satisfying gearbox, and we were particularly impressed by the new 8L45 automatic, which shifted smoothly and decisively, whether driven gently or aggressively. The eight-speed executes quick and slick full-throttle kickdowns, even when dropping four or more gears at a time.

During this full-throttle work, the optional dual-mode exhaust leaves no doubt that the Camaro philosophy was first dictated in the muscle-car era of the 1960s. In fact, between the loud exhaust, the “sound enhancers”—essentially calibrated firewall noise leaks—and the bucket-of-bolts feeling of these prototypes, it was impossible to determine whether the new V-6 was any smoother at high revs than its thrashy predecessor.

There was no opportunity to explore handling, but we did get a sense that the new electric power steering is a decent example of the breed, delivering close to the steering feel of the hydraulic power steering in the current V-6 versions. And we picked up some hints of improved agility, thanks to the lighter weight and the upgraded suspension.

The driving position is much as it was before, with a high beltline and a narrow view out, although the cowl is about an inch and a half lower. This feeling of being buried in the cockpit is particularly strong if you lower the seat all the way, as it goes down farther than it did before. Taller drivers will appreciate this change. For the rest of us, it will pay to raise the seat roughly halfway. Also appreciated are the thinner A-pillars—they’re about an inch less thick front to rear and half an inch leaner from the side. Both changes provide a welcome improvement in visibility. For those who care, rear head- and legroom are slightly reduced thanks to the car's slightly smaller overall dimensions.

The traditional instrument cluster in a hooded binnacle is retained with the new Camaro, but the four minor dials in squarish housings just forward of the shifter are gone, replaced by a configurable LCD display between the speedo and tach. A second LCD display—an 8.0 incher—sits in the center of the dash when you order the navigation system.

Coupled with the strip of subtle heating and A/C controls, which include temperature-setting dials nicely integrated into the two low-mounted center vent registers, the overall interior ambiance strikes us as clean, uncluttered, and user-friendly.

We look forward to driving the fully developed versions of these cars, but for now, it’s clear that with this new Camaro, Chevrolet has stayed true to a successful formula while improving the car on many fronts. Camaro fans will be delighted.

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2016 Audi Q7 First Drive: Lighter and Leading the Way for the VW Group

Audi has had plenty of time to get this one right: The four-ringed brand’s engineering team began to work on the second-generation Q7 SUV as early as 2009. And even then, the original was already four years old. Shown first as the Pikes Peak concept in January 2003, the production version bowed in 2005.

There are valid reasons why it took Audi six years to get the successor to market. During that period, Audi switched its development chief twice, and in both cases the car was thoroughly re-examined. Moreover, the new 2016 Audi Q7 is the pilot vehicle for the second-generation MLB architecture, which is very important for the VW Group—it serves as the basis for many future models from Audi, VW, Bentley, and Porsche. "The new Q7 needs to make a clean production launch," says R&D chief Ulrich Hackenberg. And there is another explanation: With more than 500,000 units sold worldwide, the previous model has been so successful that Audi was in no big hurry to replace it.

Big Weight Savings, Still Just Plain Big

Given that success, the second-generation Q7 doesn’t need to convey a false sense of modesty, and it doesn't. The new version is one of the more aggressive-looking SUVs on the road. On paper, it’s a bit smaller than the previous model—and in fact, it has lost a couple of inches. But that is more than offset by its ostentatious new grille and its boxy fenders, which are supposed to allude to Audi's legendary Quattro coupe. The silver decorative trim on the lower flanks fails to cut the visual bulk, and, as before, the Q7 looks best with its optional extralarge 20- or 21-inch wheels.

Judging from the appearance, it’s hard to believe that more than 700 pounds have been cut out—per Audi—in the transition from old Q7 to new. Whatever the real-world weight loss manages to be, the sveltening is the result of changing from the previous model's off-road-centric platform to one shared with actual passenger cars. The new axles alone are said to shave a whopping 148 pounds, and the body makes liberal use of aluminum. You can read more about the weight-saving measures here.

The lighter Q7 is more efficient, and its drinking habits have become far more socially acceptable. The U.S. market gets a 3.0-liter TDI with 272 horsepower, as well as a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 with 333 horsepower. Both engines have their strong points. Once the diesel has moved beyond its initial turbo lag and reached 1500 rpm or higher, it rides a massive, 443-lb-ft wave of torque. Yet the ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic helps mitigate any low-end dawdling with its adept gear selection. The diesel's soundtrack is muted, and it delivers its power with a subdued growl. Zero to 60 mph comes up in about six seconds, and the European model tops out at 145 mph. Figure on achieving something like 32 mpg on the highway, too.

Fuel consumption is the main disadvantage of the supercharged V-6; we figure it’s going to manage EPA figures of maybe 18 mpg in the city and 27 highway. Those numbers work fine for the U.S., though, where such economy isn’t actually so bad and gas is far cheaper than in Europe. The gasoline V-6 offers lightning-quick responses over a much wider rev band than the diesel. With this engine, the Q7 invites its driver to hustle down the nearest windy road. Really.

Yes, the new Q7 likes curves. Our test example was equipped with the adaptive air suspension, and we can confirm that it isn't just comfortable, but also that it can deliver a distinctly sporty driving character. Soft and comfy in Efficiency, Comfort, and Auto modes, it shows its playful side in the clearly delineated Dynamic mode. And the Q7 gets even better with the optional four-wheel-steering system, which improves stability at highway speeds while reducing the turning circle in the city. All-wheel drive is standard; the default torque split is slightly rear-biased at 40:60, but it can shift to as much as 70 percent up front or 85 percent to the rear. Two off-road modes help the Q7 go far beyond the beaten track, and ground clearance can be raised to 9.6 inches. There’s no low-range transfer case, however.

An Elegant and Stylish Audi Interior—Imagine That

From the driver's seat, the Q7 emerges as the design leader. The interior is so contemporary, functional, and aesthetically pleasing that it may set the new class benchmark. We love the design and feel of the TFT instrument cluster, which corresponds to similar systems in the new TT and R8, especially since it’s augmented with a traditional screen in the dash. The user interface is intuitive and quick, although the cluster screen provides you with so much information and functionality, it’s hard not to worry about it being somewhat of a distraction. Driver and passengers enjoy plenty of comfort and space, and even the optional third-row seats are sufficiently spacious, although ingress and egress to the wayback is a hassle. Incidentally, the Q7 is so quiet that the stereo systems truly shine. We found the Bose sound package to be more than sufficient, enough so that we’d skip the far more expensive Bang & Olufsen system.

The Q7 comes with a plethora of electronic nannies, sensors, and technologies, which can be interpreted as a major step toward autonomous driving. They include brake-based torque vectoring; Traffic Jam Assist, which can essentially drive the Q7 on the highway at speeds of up to 40 mph; a trailering assistant that will back up and steer the trailer for you; and the latest versions of things like lane-departure warning and assist, blind-spot monitoring, auto braking, and adaptive cruise control. Further, Audi says the Q7 soon will add the ability to steer around obstacles in the road and brake the car if you make a left turn that will result in a collision with oncoming traffic. (Volvo also will offer the latter tech on its new XC90.) There’s also an efficiency assistant that keeps telling you to drive with a lighter right foot. We rarely complied with its wishes.

While the Q7 has taken a big step forward, things are about to get very crowded at the top of the SUV segment, with the upcoming entries from Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and even Mercedes-Maybach. To stay in that highly profitable game—and to retain the owners of the previous V-8 and V-12 TDI versions—Audi will launch a V-8 TDI, a V-8 turbo gasoline engine, and possibly even a W-12 turbo gasoline engine. Before that, however, we’ll see a plug-in-hybrid e-tron model. (Audi hasn’t yet decided whether it will bring Americans a gasoline version with its 2.0-liter four or the previously detailed 3.0 V-6 diesel e-tron.) The 3.0 TDI and the 3.0 TFSI will come to the U.S. later in 2015 as 2016 models, at prices starting around $50K.

After this initial drive, it seems like the Q7’s long gestation was time well spent—and the SUV well worth waiting for.

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2016 Volkswagen Golf GTD SportWagen First Drive: Diesel. GTI. Wagon.

Back in January, we waxed lyrically about a newly unveiled car that fulfilled every cliché of an auto journalist's dream car—the Volkswagen Golf GTD SportWagen, a diesel station wagon fitted with a standard manual transmission. And GTD, of course, means a fast diesel, the oil-burner equivalent of a GTI. Now that we’ve spent some time behind the wheel, did this ostensible dream car live up to our expectations?

The GTD SportWagen (Europe calls it the GTD Variant) is powered by the VW Group's familiar 2.0-liter TDI, a turbo-diesel engine that produces 184 horsepower between 3500 and 4000 rpm, as well as a very robust 280 lb-ft of torque from just 1750 rpm. In the GTD, it sounds downright sporty, and we estimate it propels the wagon to 60 mph in just 7.9 seconds. Top speed is rated at 144 mph, and judging from the way this car pulls to 100 mph and beyond, that’s not just a hypothetical figure—at least in places where it can be exercised, like in Europe.

The GTD wagon easily returns an indicated 40 mpg or so—and it’s so much more fun than any hybrid we’ve recently driven that it should make the proponents of electrified mobility weep.

Sure, a diesel engine is slightly heavier than a gasoline engine, and despite using the relatively lightweight MQB architecture, the GTD wagon tips the scales at something like 3300 pounds. But VW’s chassis modifications help mitigate those facts. For example, the GTD sits lower than a regular Golf; it’s fitted with 225/45 tires on 17-inch wheels (upgradable to 40-series rubber and 18-inch wheels); it features a stability control system with a Sport mode that allows more wheelspin; and it comes with a brake-based function that simulates a limited-slip differential for greater agility. Add to that a nicely weighted power-steering system, and you have an innocuous diesel station wagon that likes to charge up mountain roads and hunt down sports coupes.

The standard six-speed manual is so slick that we wouldn't even think of opting for the six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic—especially since the throttle-blipping that’s so much fun on DSG-equipped gasoline-powered cars doesn't create much of an effect with the lazier diesel.

Rewarding to drive fast, yet comfortable enough to conceal its dark side from those who might disapprove of a harder-core conveyance, the GTD comes with many subtle design cues that nod to the past. When VW launched the first GTD in 1982, based on the first-generation Golf (a.k.a. the Rabbit), it mimicked the look of the GTI, but the red accents on the grille were replaced with silver. Same thing on today's GTD. Otherwise, GTDs visually mimic GTIs, with their subtly aggressive front and rear fascias. The twist is that the Golf SportWagen doesn't even come as a GTI.

In the U.S. market, the closest thing to the GTD SportWagen (besides the Golf TDI SportWagen) would be a BMW 328d station wagon, and the VW would give the Bavarian a run for its money. If only U.S. diesel-fuel prices were lower, VW would be well advised to launch this fun and sensible wagon in the States. As for us, you can consider our expectations met.

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2016 Volkswagen Golf GTD SportWagen First Drive: Diesel. GTI. Wagon.

Back in January, we waxed lyrically about a newly unveiled car that fulfilled every cliché of an auto journalist's dream car—the Volkswagen Golf GTD SportWagen, a diesel station wagon fitted with a standard manual transmission. And GTD, of course, means a fast diesel, the oil-burner equivalent of a GTI. Now that we’ve spent some time behind the wheel, did this ostensible dream car live up to our expectations?

The GTD SportWagen (Europe calls it the GTD Variant) is powered by the VW Group's familiar 2.0-liter TDI, a turbo-diesel engine that produces 184 horsepower between 3500 and 4000 rpm, as well as a very robust 280 lb-ft of torque from just 1750 rpm. In the GTD, it sounds downright sporty, and we estimate it propels the wagon to 60 mph in just 7.9 seconds. Top speed is rated at 144 mph, and judging from the way this car pulls to 100 mph and beyond, that’s not just a hypothetical figure—at least in places where it can be exercised, like in Europe.

The GTD wagon easily returns an indicated 40 mpg or so—and it’s so much more fun than any hybrid we’ve recently driven that it should make the proponents of electrified mobility weep.

Sure, a diesel engine is slightly heavier than a gasoline engine, and despite using the relatively lightweight MQB architecture, the GTD wagon tips the scales at something like 3300 pounds. But VW’s chassis modifications help mitigate those facts. For example, the GTD sits lower than a regular Golf; it’s fitted with 225/45 tires on 17-inch wheels (upgradable to 40-series rubber and 18-inch wheels); it features a stability control system with a Sport mode that allows more wheelspin; and it comes with a brake-based function that simulates a limited-slip differential for greater agility. Add to that a nicely weighted power-steering system, and you have an innocuous diesel station wagon that likes to charge up mountain roads and hunt down sports coupes.

The standard six-speed manual is so slick that we wouldn't even think of opting for the six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic—especially since the throttle-blipping that’s so much fun on DSG-equipped gasoline-powered cars doesn't create much of an effect with the lazier diesel.

Rewarding to drive fast, yet comfortable enough to conceal its dark side from those who might disapprove of a harder-core conveyance, the GTD comes with many subtle design cues that nod to the past. When VW launched the first GTD in 1982, based on the first-generation Golf (a.k.a. the Rabbit), it mimicked the look of the GTI, but the red accents on the grille were replaced with silver. Same thing on today's GTD. Otherwise, GTDs visually mimic GTIs, with their subtly aggressive front and rear fascias. The twist is that the Golf SportWagen doesn't even come as a GTI.

In the U.S. market, the closest thing to the GTD SportWagen (besides the Golf TDI SportWagen) would be a BMW 328d station wagon, and the VW would give the Bavarian a run for its money. If only U.S. diesel-fuel prices were lower, VW would be well advised to launch this fun and sensible wagon in the States. As for us, you can consider our expectations met.

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