but all that torque makes it much quicker than a gas engine with the same power
It'd feel quicker, not be quicker. Power is power, and is the bottom line.
Sorry, but that's not entirely true. You see, torque and power are just two sides of the same thing and you can actually calculate power if you know torque.
Let's say you have two engines.
Engine 1: 2.0 litre N/A gas. 100 hp and 170 Nm of torque.
Engine 2: 2.0 litre turbodiesel. 100 hp and 260 Nm torque.
The gas engine would make max. power around 5500 rpm, and max torque around 3000 rpm. The TD would make max power at 4500 rpm and max torque between 2000 and 3000 rpm roughly.
There is no question whatsover that the TD will be quicker (just compare any similar-hp gas and diesel equivalents and you'll see that).
Acceleration (especially overtaking) will be VASTLY quicker.
Top speed may be around the same for the both because at max rpm they will have equal power. Maximum power actually tells you little about a car's performance. All it tells you is how much torque you have AT HIGH RPM. Peak power helps little if another engine makes twice the accelerative force 80% of the rev range.
Power is nothing if you have no torque. Then again, torque will still make you go quickly with a moderately low max power. The reason why a TD will have lower max power, is because it has lower max revs - simple as that. With a TD, however, you will have much more torque over all the revs that you use - this is why the performance is stronger than hp would make you expect. Heck, this is why we frive TDs in the first place!!
Enzo Ferrari put it simply: "Horsepower sell cars, torque wins races".
I don't consider myself an expert, but I'd trust il Commendatore

In any case, merry christmas!!