Found quite a nice article by one of my favoured journos Chris Harris on the PH website about the 2.0 TDi SE Golf.

Know its not Skoda related but found what he said about the performance very interesting (particularly from someone who drives much more exciting metal both at work and at home).

"The Golf 2.0 TDI is a fast car. Not quite-a-fast-car, but one which in normal driving circumstances is comfortably faster than machines we called hot hatchbacks not many years ago. The 150hp means very little in this context; the 236lb ft of torque means everything. I was shocked at how rapidly it would cover ground on fast A- and B-roads: it surges along with all sorts of alarming numbers showing on the speedometer"

Taking this into account for the O3 I actually could not agree more; even more interesting when you consider even an estate variant is a good 70kgs or so lighter than the MK7 5 door hatch.

I found it incredibly strange that with only 10hp more and no more torques how much better it whipped the O3 along than both my old MK6 2.0 TDi 140 Golf and my curren O2 vRS TDi. Weight plays a big part but it really is a fantastic engine; almost as though VAG have listened to the " CRs are a bit weak in power delivery to the old PD's" and have seen to it to give them their mojo back.

Goes to show how a better engine and less weight makes for considerably more rewarding performance.

Thanks for sharing!

Quite interesting in Autocar last week they dyno-tested their long term Seat Leon with the same 150bhp engine - and got over 160bhp at the wheels. They stated it is common practice for VAG to underplay the power achieved by their engines.

That is interesting. Just think its high praise indeed to remark on a 150hp diesel car being fast; for what it is it definitely is a quick car.

The engines power delivery for one is just leagues ahead of the VAG 140 and 170hp CR engined cars ive had previously; its rather severe diet seems to have helped massively too.

Also saw a vid on Auto Express of a MK7 150 TDi being dragged against a Mk2 GTi 8v from VAGs heritage fleet; power to weight ratio was probably just in the Mk2's favour but the Mk7 absolutely whooped it.

That is interesting. Just think its high praise indeed to remark on a 150hp diesel car being fast; for what it is it definitely is a quick car.

The engines power delivery for one is just leagues ahead of the VAG 140 and 170hp CR engined cars ive had previously; its rather severe diet seems to have helped massively too.

Also saw a vid on Auto Express of a MK7 150 TDi being dragged against a Mk2 GTi 8v from VAGs heritage fleet; power to weight ratio was probably just in the Mk2's favour but the Mk7 absolutely whooped it.

The mk2 got a crappy start. To be fair 0-60 the mk2 is slightly quicker but a fairer fight would be 16v but then their plan wouldn't have worked for the mk7 to win lol

The mk2 got a crappy start. To be fair 0-60 the mk2 is slightly quicker but a fairer fight would be 16v but then their plan wouldn't have worked for the mk7 to win lol

An element of truth but cars have come on so much I reckon in most circumstances the Golf 7 2.0 TDi would still just about have an 8v Mk2 in a straight line, in gear at motorway speeds there'd be no contest with all the extra torque the thing throws out. Impressive given all the safety equipment and toys its carrying.

Give you that though a 16v ought to be a fair bit faster but would need to be ragged senseless to achieve it; the 8v producing a nicer more linear power delivery IMO, the extra power only being of benefit when being driven on the edge. That said most 16v's probably dont have their full 134hp quota anymore, cant remember the last time I saw a tidy OEM one.

Yeah new cars are sooo much better in so many ways. 30-50 or 50-70 would be laughable. Tdi would be gone. With the Gti hobbling behind lol

My mk2 8v was a treat, I never liked the over revvy 16v

Sold her 9 years ago now. Would luv it back as a second car

Top bloke, Harris. 

Quite interesting in Autocar last week they dyno-tested their long term Seat Leon with the same 150bhp engine - and got over 160bhp at the wheels. They stated it is common practice for VAG to underplay the power achieved by their engines.

IMO all rolling roads / dyno's overestimate bhp by 5-10%. Every performance car that I have owned pushed out my power than specified (and yes I remapped and dyno'd just about all of them). It's in peoples nature to want better results, and as most rolling road owners also provide tuning parts it makes good financial sense to read over than it does to be accurate or read under.

I simply don't believe that *ALL* dynos over read by 5-10%. On big power cars, that have been tuned by the dyno owner that could be the difference between 365 and 400 bhp and I just don't think that would stand up for long.

Quite interesting in Autocar last week they dyno-tested their long term Seat Leon with the same 150bhp engine - and got over 160bhp at the wheels. They stated it is common practice for VAG to underplay the power achieved by their engines.

160bhp at the wheels? Was that not engine hp? That's going to be a lot if power out of that engine if that's 160 whp.

Harris is right though - my mk1 Focus TDCI had nearly 270bhp and that made it feel very quick.

I don't see why VAG would under estimate all their power outputs by huge margins. 160 at the wheels compared to rated 150 at the crank seems ridiculously different.

Dynos have never been bullet proof on Bhp figures but vid had plenty vag cars and none have really read wildly over stated figures.

I think people just want to think their car has more than standard.

Just like you constantly read that people can do 0-60 1sec quicker than any car of the same model ever tested

I don't see why VAG would under estimate all their power outputs by huge margins. 160 at the wheels compared to rated 150 at the crank seems ridiculously different.

 

 

Absolutely - that's getting on for 200bhp at the flywheel (rough numbers).

That's feasible out of 2.0 4 cylinder diesel, of course it is - look at what the CR170 maps to after all.

160bhp at the wheels? Was that not engine hp? That's going to be a lot if power out of that engine if that's 160 whp.

 

I think you will find, (although as I'm not sure I stand to be corrected) that modern DIN standard power output is quoted as at the wheels, old fashioned SAE hp was at the flywheel. :think: