Photo: Volkswagen
Weight negatively affects automobiles in so many ways. It dents a car`s handling capabilities, its performance, comfort and economy. This is why all automakers are now on a quest to reduce the weight of their vehicles, and VW, of course, is among them.
Now, they have announced that they plan on using high-strength steel in the construction of their cars, more extensively than before, in an effort to make their cars greener and compliant with the increasingly-strict emissions regulations - the all-new Golf, underpinned by their new MQB architecture is the first model to incorporate this new philosophy.
They also plan to limit the use of aluminium in the construction of their future offerings.
Proof that their new high-strength steel theory is valid are the hundred-or-so kilos that the new Mark VII Golf has shed over its predecessor, despite being a larger and more spacious car.
This philosophy is similar, in a way, to what Mazda are trying to do with their SKYACTIV philosophy, which aims to make conventional cars as we know and love them, better and more efficient, without resorting to hybrids and overly-complicated electronics to do so.
The use of high-strength steel is also useful when it comes to cars' safety, as it is around six times tougher than regular steel, and in the event of an impact, the passenger cell needs to be strong and not buckle, so as to let the airbags do their job as efficiently as possible.
They also plan to limit the use of aluminium in the construction of their future offerings.
Proof that their new high-strength steel theory is valid are the hundred-or-so kilos that the new Mark VII Golf has shed over its predecessor, despite being a larger and more spacious car.
This philosophy is similar, in a way, to what Mazda are trying to do with their SKYACTIV philosophy, which aims to make conventional cars as we know and love them, better and more efficient, without resorting to hybrids and overly-complicated electronics to do so.
The use of high-strength steel is also useful when it comes to cars' safety, as it is around six times tougher than regular steel, and in the event of an impact, the passenger cell needs to be strong and not buckle, so as to let the airbags do their job as efficiently as possible.
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