Photo: Volkswagen
To be honest, we've never been fans of supermini models that have been engineered for ultra efficiency. They're never as economical as they promise and in a couple of years, normal cars come out that claim the same numbers. To make things even worse, the blocked grilles and tiny wheels with low rolling resistance tires look horrible. And the engines… oh the engines. They feel so gutless.
Today, Volkswagen announced a new Polo BlueMotion model for 2015. All the things we don't like are there, including a piece of black plastic in place of the grille and some Prius-like wheels. But what's under the bonnet is super-interesting.
For the first time ever, Volkswagen is selling its Polo BlueMotion model with a TSI engine, which runs on petrol, not diesel. Why? Because petrol is cheaper to buy these days, the engine displacement can be smaller and the car itself costs less than with a TDI.
The 1-liter mill has three cylinders and is turbocharged. It produces 95 PS, which is pretty decent, not to mention 5 better than a regular 1.2 TSI. Couple that with 160 Nm of torque and you get a frugal Polo that can keep up with a Ford Fiesta EcoBoost.
We found the specs sheet for the 2015 BlueMotion TSI (attached below) and it claims the car will 0 to 100 km/h in 10.5 seconds and has a top speed of 191 km/h.
So, how efficient is this TSI fuel sipper? According to Volkswagen, it will do 4.1 l/100 km on the combined cycle and will emit 94 grams per kilometer. It's not as good as the 1.4 TDI BlueMotion model, which needs 3.1 l/100km. But here's the catch: While the TDI sipper costs €17,075, this TSI model is only €15,925. So if you don't plan on keeping the car for more than 100,000 km, the 1-liter makes a lot more sense.
Apart from this first use of the highly efficient 1.0 TSI engine, the fuel consumption figures were also the result of lowering the ride height and improving the aerodynamics by blocking the upper radiator grille. Furthermore, the Polo TSI BlueMotion also benefits from reduced rolling resistance tire and longer gear ratios in the upper transmission stages. Other factors contributing to greater driving economy are the stop/start system, regenerative braking and a gear-change indicator for the driver. However, except for that last feature, all those features are available across the Polo range.
If you're convinced the Polo 1.0 TSI BlueMotion is the car for you, configure your own on Volkswagen.de.
For the first time ever, Volkswagen is selling its Polo BlueMotion model with a TSI engine, which runs on petrol, not diesel. Why? Because petrol is cheaper to buy these days, the engine displacement can be smaller and the car itself costs less than with a TDI.
The 1-liter mill has three cylinders and is turbocharged. It produces 95 PS, which is pretty decent, not to mention 5 better than a regular 1.2 TSI. Couple that with 160 Nm of torque and you get a frugal Polo that can keep up with a Ford Fiesta EcoBoost.
We found the specs sheet for the 2015 BlueMotion TSI (attached below) and it claims the car will 0 to 100 km/h in 10.5 seconds and has a top speed of 191 km/h.
So, how efficient is this TSI fuel sipper? According to Volkswagen, it will do 4.1 l/100 km on the combined cycle and will emit 94 grams per kilometer. It's not as good as the 1.4 TDI BlueMotion model, which needs 3.1 l/100km. But here's the catch: While the TDI sipper costs €17,075, this TSI model is only €15,925. So if you don't plan on keeping the car for more than 100,000 km, the 1-liter makes a lot more sense.
Apart from this first use of the highly efficient 1.0 TSI engine, the fuel consumption figures were also the result of lowering the ride height and improving the aerodynamics by blocking the upper radiator grille. Furthermore, the Polo TSI BlueMotion also benefits from reduced rolling resistance tire and longer gear ratios in the upper transmission stages. Other factors contributing to greater driving economy are the stop/start system, regenerative braking and a gear-change indicator for the driver. However, except for that last feature, all those features are available across the Polo range.
If you're convinced the Polo 1.0 TSI BlueMotion is the car for you, configure your own on Volkswagen.de.
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