Volkswagen Unveils New Golf BlueMotion Concept; 62 mpg US, 99 g CO2/km
08 September 2008
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| The Golf BlueMotion concept. |
Volkswagen unveiled the BlueMotion concept version of its coming new sixth-generation Golf. The Golf BlueMotion concept has combined European cycle fuel consumption of 3.8 L/100km (62 mpg US) and CO2 emissions of 99 g/km. This matches the economy of the Polo BlueMotion, itself among the most efficient conventional vehicles currently on sale. (Earlier post.)
The new Golf BlueMotion concept is powered by a 1.6-liter TDI common rail diesel engine developing 77 kW (104 hp) and 249 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque at 2,000 rpm. Acceleration from 0 to 62 mph is 11.3 seconds; top speed its 117 mph. In common with every diesel model in the forthcoming new Golf range the BlueMotion concept is fitted with a diesel particulate filter.
As with all BlueMotion models, the Golf BlueMotion adopts a series of changes to drivetrain and aerodynamics in order to maximize the vehicle’s efficiency. A set of low rolling resistance tires are joined by optimized aerodynamics and revised ratios in the five speed gearbox. The resulting combination of changes works to reduce loading on the engine to drive up economy and reduce emissions.
The BlueMotion label was first attributed to the Polo in 2006 and represents the most efficient model in each of Volkswagen’s passenger car ranges. Since the Polo made its debut, BlueMotion versions of the Golf Mk V, Golf Estate, Golf Plus, Jetta, Touran, Passat, Passat Estate and Sharan have been launched.
The new Golf. The sixth generation of the Golf, which launches into the market in October, features a range of new diesel and gasoline engine and transmission technologies that reduce fuel consumption by up to 28% compared to the previous generation. All gasoline and diesel engines fulfill emission limits of the future Euro-5 standard.
On the diesel side, the Golf is using common rail TDI engines for the first time. Plans call for a TDI power range from 66 - 125 kW (89-168 hp). At market launch, Volkswagen will offer two 2.0 liter TDI engines on the Golf, delivering 81 kW (108 hp) and 103 kW (138 hp). The 81 kW diesel has a fuel consumption rating of 4.5 L/100km (52 mpg US) and emissions of 119 g CO2/km—a reduction of 0.6 liter compared to the previous generation. The 103 kW diesel has a fuel consumption rating of 4.9 L/100km (48 mpg US) and 129 g CO2/km —also 0.6 liter less than the on the previous generation.
In the launch phase, Volkswagen will offer four gasoline engine variants: 59 kW (79 hp), 75 kW (101 hp), 90 kW (121 hp) and 118 kW (158 hp). Starting at the 90 kW level, VW will use TSI engines with supercharging and/or turbocharging are used.
The optimized 59 kW entry-level engine consumes 6.4 L/100km (37 mpg US)—0.5 liter less than its predecessor. The new Golf 90 kW 1.4 TSI consumes 6.2 L/100km (38 mpg US)—a fuel consumption advantage of 0.1 liters. The new 118 kW top version of the 1.4 TSI offers consumption of 6.3 L/100km, reducing fuel consumption by 1.6 liters compared to the retired 110 kW FSI.
With the exception of the entry-level versions, all gasoline and diesel engines in the new Golf range may be paired with Volkswagen’s dual clutch transmission (DSG). Either a 6-speed or 7-speed DSG is used, depending on engine torque. The combination of DSG and TSI engines helps optimize fuel economy. The 118 kW 1.4 TSI and 7-speed DSG consumes 6.0 L/100km (39 mpg US, 139 g/km CO2). This replaces the 110 kW 2.0 FSI and 6-speed automatic, which offered average fuel consumption of 8.3 L/100km (28 mpg US); the savings of 2.3 L/100km represents a 28% improvement.
Volkswagen has sold more than 26 million Golfs since the original introduction of the vehicle to the market in 1974.
Sounds super-frugal - I wonder how much it will cost - will it sell, or will it just be a place holder in the range which no sane person can afford.
The numbers are stunning - 99gms, 62 MPG(US) and 11.3 0-62 is quite something.
Also have to see how it works in the real world.
The figure of 99 gms is a bit suspect - it smells of finessing the tests.
But well done VW - for such a decent sized car, 99gms is quite something.
Posted by: mahonj | 08 September 2008 at 08:31 AM
A couple of years ago the European carmakers were bitterly complaining that there was no way Golf-size cars could ever be made to get under 100 g/km CO2 without charging £30k per car. What a difference a couple of years makes.....
Also, can anyone please offer an explanation for why VW have finally made the switch to common rail after all? Rafael, one for you?
Posted by: clett | 08 September 2008 at 08:55 AM
I'm not Rafael, but I'm somewhat familiar with things VW ...
The switch to common-rail is for a couple of reasons.
#1, it facilitates the use of injection strategies for meeting the new emission regulations which were either not possible or extremely difficult with the prior "pump-nozzle" system. For one thing, it can use post-injection to heat up the exhaust to ignite the DPF regeneration cycle. For another, it allows the rail pressure and therefore the injection pressure to be controlled independently of engine RPM. The "pump-nozzle" system mechanically operated the plunger from a cam, and the injection pressure "is what it is" (typically, rising with engine RPM - meaning, lower injection pressure at the low engine speeds typical of normal driving and of emission test procedures).
#2, is that the "pump-nozzle" system was proprietary to VW, but common-rail has become industry standard - and the production volumes have brought the cost down to the point that a common-rail system is now less expensive to build than the pump-nozzle system used previously.
Pump-nozzle made sense at the time it was introduced nearly 10 years ago (VW had the first mass-production diesel to meet Euro 4) but common-rail technology has leapfrogged it.
Re the cost, obviously it has yet to be determined, but there is nothing in BlueMotion that represents an excessive cost burden. Yeah, the manufacturers were complaining, but progress moves on ... You have to make quite a few <100 g/km cars to offset one 200+ g/km moneymaker, and that remains a problem. It remains to be seen what proportion of buyers will go for the BlueMotion version. It will have to be very high for the average of the Golf range to be below 120 g/km.
Posted by: Brian P | 08 September 2008 at 09:32 AM
I'd like to see VW introduce transverse engine, front wheel drive hatchback-type cars (i.e., the Golf), 3-box cars (Jetta) and all wheel drive vehicles ("crossovers") with hybrid-electric drivetrains. It would be interesting to see how low one can go regarding CO2 emissions with a hybrid-electric, Diesel engine based drivetrain.
Posted by: Alex Kovnat | 08 September 2008 at 09:45 AM
If/When VW builds this, what are the chances we will get it over on this side of the pond?
Posted by: jon | 08 September 2008 at 10:14 AM
Alex, earlier posts indicate how low the CO2 emissions can go for a Golf sized ICE vehicle:
Golf Bluemotion 4 cylinder 1.6 litre:
3.6 l/100 km 62 mpg 99 g/km
Golf TDI hybrid 3 cylinder 1.2 litre (Polo engine):
3.4 l/100 km 69 mpg 89 g/km
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/03/the-golf-tdi-di.html
Golf PHEV with 12 kWh Li-ion battery pack:
8 kWh + 2.5 l/100km 94 mpg 65 g/km + electric emissions
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/06/volkswagen-unve.html
If you have off peak wind or HEP available, then 65 g/km is as low as you go with fossil diesel.
Once your consumption gets down to 2.5 litres per 100 km, BTL diesel can form a significant proportion of your fuel, so the CO2 emissions can go even lower.
If the EEC 10% minimum biofuel content requirement was implemented, Golf PHEV emissions would go down to about 63 g/km
With 100% BTL, you would be down to about 46 g/km.
Current technology can manufacture green cars, but will prosperous new car buyers choose them?
To partially offset the extra capital cost, feebates are required so that new cars with low emissions get rebates and cars with high emissions ( and therefore high external costs for society) pay fees proportional to CO2 emissions.
Luxury gas-guzzlers could be taxed as luxury items, with high sales tax or excise duty.
Posted by: Polly | 08 September 2008 at 10:42 AM
A New Fuel Saving Device Can Change the Way We Use Fuel Driving Our Car
Using the momentum of your car will reduce your fuel consumption; The U.S. Patent Office issued a Patent for Moment-O-Meter
When Tom presented me his work, I was skeptical because it was utterly simple and logical, thus not new. It took thousands of years to put wheels on our luggage because nobody thought about it.
Clearwater, Fla. (PRWEB) August 20, 2008 -- GREEN TECHNOLOGY MFG manufactures the long awaited Moment-O-Meter, a consumer friendly device that helps to reduce fuel consumption (patent # 7,411,140).
"It may take ten years for car manufacturers to create and redesign higher fuel efficient cars, fifteen years to find and exploit fuel fossil reserves in the US and maybe twenty more years to develop safe nuclear energy providing 50% of our electricity," said the inventor, Tom Delor.
It takes only a few seconds to stick Moment-O-Meter to your windshield and plug it in your cigarette lighter to upgrade your car to a fuel efficient car. "Moment-O-Meter was developed and tested during the last three years, and we now manufacture it in Clearwater, Florida," added Delor, a retired ex-aeronautical engineer who co-invented this device to help his school teacher daughter to save gas. "It all started with my daughter and I'm always looking for a good reason to spend some time in my workshop," added Delor.
As Speed-O-Meter indicates the speed of a vehicle, Moment-O-Meter indicates its inherent momentum allowing users to coast by, moving their car effortlessly by force of the inertial mass generated. Green light indicates you can coast, red light indicates you need to use fuel to maintain the car's speed. It's like a personal trainer telling you what to do.
"Every driver can take advantage of their car's momentum to drastically increase their fuel efficiency if they are shown how," the inventor said. "You will save 20% to 50% gas the very first time you use it. To make it work for everyone, it had to be simple and visual. Moment-O-Meter is very simple; just react to the device's lights to save gas. I personally save 50% but my wife saves only 32% ... It still depends on the driver's skills, but improvement is expected as driving efficiently will become second nature," concluded Delor.
About GREEN TECHNOLOGY MFG
GREEN TECHNOLOGY MFG, located in Clearwater, Florida, is the developer and manufacturer of this long awaited new instrument for cars. The device uses simple visual cues to allow drivers to take advantage of the moving vehicle's momentum. It really does not matter if the vehicle uses gas, ethanol, or electricity or if the vehicle is a small or an eighteen wheelers. Retired ex-aeronautical engineer Tom Delor is the co-inventor, and patent attorney John Rizzy from Fort Lauderdale, Florida said: "When Tom presented me his work, I was skeptical because it was utterly simple and logical, thus not new. It took thousands of years to put wheels on our luggage because nobody thought about it." Comparatively, nobody thought about showing the momentum of a moving vehicle until now, replied Delor. With the energy crisis, necessity became the mother of all inventions and the United States Patent Office by issuing the patent confirmed that Moment-O-Meter is a genuine new invention.
Contact:
Tom Delor
1-800-YES-WILL
http://www.extra-mpg.com
Posted by: ttom delor | 08 September 2008 at 10:57 AM
Comparing relative efficiency for the same car, except maybe tires, the TDI's still have plenty of advantage in the US even with 12-15% higher diesel fuel prices:
P (kW) L/100km %diff TSI-15%
77 3.8 -16% BlueMotion 1.6L TDI common rail
81 4.5 0% Mk6 2.0L TDI
103 4.9 9% Mk6 2.0L TDI
59 6.4 42% 24% TSI
75 ? ? ? TSI
90 6.2 38% 20% TSI
118 6.3 40% 22% TSI
Posted by: GdB | 08 September 2008 at 12:30 PM
I would love this car like it was my child! it's too bad VW's are so damned expensive. I mean used golf TDI's are still going for 15000-20000, it's insane
Posted by: Brad Godfrey | 08 September 2008 at 02:09 PM
Brad: All newer VW TDIs are still very close to the original dealer sale price in the US due to the small number that were available for purchase new and the not-so-small number of people who want to either a) run biodiesel to get off oil as best they can or b) have the cheapest running costs (fuel and maintenance) or both!
At $5.15 for biodiesel per US gallon (a 50 cent premium over dino-diesel) I'm still ~5% cheaper per mile than the gasoline equivalent.
Posted by: Floatplane | 08 September 2008 at 05:53 PM
$5.15 for biodiesel
Boy are you getting ripped off. Bio is $2.75 here, $1.00 less than dino. Just got 55 gallons yesterday.
Posted by: Joseph | 08 September 2008 at 11:45 PM
The only thing that costs extra money on the Bluemotion is the underside wind fairing.
- Different gear ratios: same cost
- Low rolling resistance tyres: same as standart premium tyres
- 10 mm lower riding height: Different springs, no extra cost
- Reduced air inlet to engine compartment: no extra cost
- 1.6 Peugeot HDi engine: maybe cheaper than VW's own engines? (This 1.6 HDi engine is now used by Peugeot, Citroen, Ford, Volvo and now VW - i.e. quite succesful!)
- Smaller side mirrors: Same cost
- Gear indicator: zero cost
Obviously, some of the new components may have a higher price due to lower production numbers, but they cost no more to make, fundamentally.
The only penalty is the this Bluemotion version looks slightly less masculine and aggressive.
In Denmark the current Bluemotion costs the same (+/- 2%) as the standard 1.9 TDI, due to lower tax. I tested one on the road a was very impressed with its apparent fuel mileage. However, I ended up buying a used 2.0 TDI, which is much more fun to drive :-)
Posted by: Thomas | 10 September 2008 at 04:53 AM
Oh wait. Where is the standard boilerplate line: "The company says it has no plans to introduce the new model to the North American market." Come on, where is it? After all, we've been hearing it for decades from all the manufacturers.
I'm sure VW will fit the US Golf model with a nice 5-cyl petrol engine that gets 31 mpg hwy....
Posted by: Spector | 11 September 2008 at 08:23 AM
ah yes, the gem that is the 'too big for its own good' 170hp 2.5 that looks like a chump compared to the 6 year old 200hp 2.0T that has powered everything from the TT to the A3.
Posted by: | 12 September 2008 at 04:53 PM
Hi, I am thinking about starting up a green rental company in UK, gatwick airport near london, all the cars would be VW bluemotion, polo, golf, sharan, do you think the US market would be intersted in hiring these type of vehicles during their trip in the uk? Is the Bluemotion range weel know in the US. I currently drive a golf bluemotion, i do 67 miles per day and the mpg is amazing plus better for the environment? what do you think?
Posted by: GoodM | 30 September 2008 at 08:11 AM