Golf Facelift and GTI Diesel Spy Photos

• Facelifted Golf

• GTI Diesel power

These are the first images of what’s to become the facelift for the VW Golf and also the first sight of the all-new Golf GTD, the GTI’s oil-burning counterpart. We expect both cars to come to the dealers in summer this year, but our spies caught them out testing in northern Sweden and in Germany respectively. Modifications for the updated Golf are limited to the car’s front end where it is to mimic the grille of the Jetta – including bigger air-intakes, the polished chrome grille and two pairs of chrome bars left and right of the logo. The rear end seems to be left untouched but we expect fresher cloth and a slightly refined interior design to round the facelift.

It comes as no surprise that the GTD will get the petrol GTI’s outstanding grille, though newly interpreted as the GTD will be available in the facelifted version of the Golf right from the start. Power will come from the 2.0-litre four-cylinder TDI, though output will be increased from today’s 140 to then 170 bhp.