The first Golf diesel appeared in 1976, two years after VW made the switch from rear engine to front-wheel drive for its volume seller. Of course, it was not the first diesel car - Peugeot and Mercedes-Benz were already well established in the passenger car market. What made the new Golf diesel significant, however, was the way this free-revving unit (spawned from the Audi 1588cc gasoline engine also used in the Golf) kept its weight under control and felt much more spry and driveable than any previous diesel. It was also unique in having a transverse layout, driving the front wheels - the first diesel to achieve this trick, thereby opening up the concept to the smaller car mass-market. In the last 12 months, the VW Group has launched its brand new 2.0 litre diesel engine and as you read this, there are now Seats, Skodas, as well as Audis and of course, Golfs, all sharing this latest technology. How did we get from one to the other, and what has been adopted, as well as put back on the shelf, on the way?
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