Cars
Take one relatively fuel-efficient U.S.-market car. Let's say.... the Toyota Corolla. On the highway, the best the Corolla will likely achieve is 35 miles per gallon. Don't forget, the Corolla also offers Toyota quality, five seats, and a somewhat peppy four-cylinder engine, too.
- New 85.6mpg Vw Polo Bluemotion Available For Order In The Uk
After yesterday's presentation of the fastest version of the new Polo, the 180HP GTI, Volkswagen today announced that it is accepting orders in the UK for the most economical variant of the supermini, the Polo BlueMotion. Prices start at £14,445...
- Vw Launches Most Economical Golf Ever: New Bluemotion Model Returns 3.8lt/100km Or 61.9mpg
At this year's Frankfurt Show, along with the world debut of the most powerful series-production Golf ever, the 270HP AWD Golf R, Volkswagen also celebrated the premiere of the most fuel efficient Golf of all time, the second-generation Golf BlueMotion...
- Vw Releases 'greener' Touareg Bluemotion With 225hp V6 Diesel
Blue is Volkswagen's way of saying green with the automaker applying its ecological brand to the most efficient and economical models in each range. The latest BlueMotion model is based on the Touareg SUV and is equipped with a more efficient but...
- New Vw Polo: Mini-me Golf Makes Its Debut In Geneva
The fifth generation of Volkswagen's supermini, the Polo, was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. To the surprise of no one, the new Polo looks like a Golf that has long overstayed its welcome in the dryer. Definitely sharper looking than the model...
- Vw Golf Bluemotion: Frankfurt Premier Of The Most Economical Golf
The German car maker will enhance its eco-friendly BlueMotion line-up at the forthcoming Frankfurt Show with the introduction of six-new models, including the Golf BlueMotion. Powered by a 105Hp strong 1.9-litre turbo diesel engine, the Golf BlueMotion...
Cars
ACROSS THE POND - MEGA FUEL ECONOMY FROM VOLKSWAGEN POLO BLUEMOTION
Take one relatively fuel-efficient U.S.-market car. Let's say.... the Toyota Corolla. On the highway, the best the Corolla will likely achieve is 35 miles per gallon. Don't forget, the Corolla also offers Toyota quality, five seats, and a somewhat peppy four-cylinder engine, too. Keep those five seats. Exchange the Toyota quality for Volkswagen Euro cachet and feel. Swap the "somewhat peppy four-cylinder" for something a little less.... er, zippy? Lop off a cylinder, bring displacement down to 1.2 litres, sacrifice some horsepower, and fill'er up with diesel.
Most importantly, double your fuel economy.
Perhaps this is one compromise too many. Then again, what's so bad about a unique, torquey, handsome, economical package? Volkswagen goes about making a Polo a BlueMotion with the help of that tiny 74-bhp engine. The VW Polo BlueMotion shuts off its engine every time it comes to a standstill. Regenerative braking like you'll find on a Toyota Prius is present and accounted for. Of course the transmission was revised slightly. Polo watchers will notice the lower ride height. Low rolling resistance tires are a mainstay of the hyper-efficient. And to show they've gone whole hog, Volkswagen has played with the aerodynamics of the Polo BlueMotion as well.
It all adds up to 3.3L/100km in optimum conditions. This translates to 71 miles per U.S. gallon; almost 86 miles per Imperial gallon. Take into account the tougher EPA testing procedure and Volkswagen's still probably looking at a 65 mpg car. This for a car that will be available in one form or another in North America in the next couple of years. As a BlueMotion? While I wouldn't be surprised at the marketing impact and the desire amongst image-conscious Californians to drive the most fuel-efficient five-seat car on the planet (a Prius, for instance, won't do more than 50mpg on the highway), it's tough to sell small cars over here. Across The Pond, diesel is more readily accepted. So is small. So is Volkswagen.
Nevertheless, the Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion's theoretical range of 847 miles (1,363 kilometres) means a drive from Seattle to Sacramento wouldn't even require a full tank. These days, that tank of diesel would only cost about $33.63, to boot.
- New 85.6mpg Vw Polo Bluemotion Available For Order In The Uk
After yesterday's presentation of the fastest version of the new Polo, the 180HP GTI, Volkswagen today announced that it is accepting orders in the UK for the most economical variant of the supermini, the Polo BlueMotion. Prices start at £14,445...
- Vw Launches Most Economical Golf Ever: New Bluemotion Model Returns 3.8lt/100km Or 61.9mpg
At this year's Frankfurt Show, along with the world debut of the most powerful series-production Golf ever, the 270HP AWD Golf R, Volkswagen also celebrated the premiere of the most fuel efficient Golf of all time, the second-generation Golf BlueMotion...
- Vw Releases 'greener' Touareg Bluemotion With 225hp V6 Diesel
Blue is Volkswagen's way of saying green with the automaker applying its ecological brand to the most efficient and economical models in each range. The latest BlueMotion model is based on the Touareg SUV and is equipped with a more efficient but...
- New Vw Polo: Mini-me Golf Makes Its Debut In Geneva
The fifth generation of Volkswagen's supermini, the Polo, was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. To the surprise of no one, the new Polo looks like a Golf that has long overstayed its welcome in the dryer. Definitely sharper looking than the model...
- Vw Golf Bluemotion: Frankfurt Premier Of The Most Economical Golf
The German car maker will enhance its eco-friendly BlueMotion line-up at the forthcoming Frankfurt Show with the introduction of six-new models, including the Golf BlueMotion. Powered by a 105Hp strong 1.9-litre turbo diesel engine, the Golf BlueMotion...