Photo: Volkswagen
Volkswagen has apparently switched its strategy regarding small displacement diesel engines in the Polo and its similarly sized models.
The initial plan involved a family of 1.5-liter engines that would be developed in gasoline and diesel versions, and the 2018 Polo was supposed to get both flavors.
According to recent reports, Volkswagen has stopped working on the 1.5-liter diesel for the Polo, but it is unclear if the engine has been eliminated from the company’s future.
The Brits at Autocar have learned that the carmaker added up the cost of development of the new 1.5-liter diesel engine, along with its exhaust gas after-treatment systems, and it found that the numbers would make the Polo significantly more expensive.
According to Frank Welsch, the leader of VW’s Research and Development department, the German brand will just improve the 1.6-liter TDI engine of the EA827 family for the 2018 Polo.
The improvement will help the automaker offer a small displacement diesel in the Polo that will comply with emissions regulations without spending considerable sums for the development of a new unit.
Instead of making a new diesel engine, Volkswagen will focus on a mild-hybrid setup, which would be just as economical as an oil burner in the city, without the NOx emissions.
The nitrogen oxide emissions are the main reason why environmentalists across the world hate diesel engines, and most automakers have not found an economically efficient solution to the problem.
The 1.6-liter TDI engine will continue to be available in the Polo range, and the Wolfsburg representative explained that it would be made for at least three more years, but it could be expanded to five if demand is high enough.
Unlike the 1.6 TDI, the 1.4-liter oil burner in the Polo range will be abandoned, and it may not stick around until the fifth generation subcompact is replaced.
The new mild-hybrid setup might be introduced before the 1.6 diesel is eliminated from the range, which could mean that we could see it as early as 2020, if not sooner. VW’s research and development chief has confirmed that the 1.5-liter TDI EVO BlueMotion version of the Golf will be used as an “inspiration” for the new mild-hybrid drivetrain.
According to recent reports, Volkswagen has stopped working on the 1.5-liter diesel for the Polo, but it is unclear if the engine has been eliminated from the company’s future.
The Brits at Autocar have learned that the carmaker added up the cost of development of the new 1.5-liter diesel engine, along with its exhaust gas after-treatment systems, and it found that the numbers would make the Polo significantly more expensive.
According to Frank Welsch, the leader of VW’s Research and Development department, the German brand will just improve the 1.6-liter TDI engine of the EA827 family for the 2018 Polo.
The improvement will help the automaker offer a small displacement diesel in the Polo that will comply with emissions regulations without spending considerable sums for the development of a new unit.
Instead of making a new diesel engine, Volkswagen will focus on a mild-hybrid setup, which would be just as economical as an oil burner in the city, without the NOx emissions.
The nitrogen oxide emissions are the main reason why environmentalists across the world hate diesel engines, and most automakers have not found an economically efficient solution to the problem.
The 1.6-liter TDI engine will continue to be available in the Polo range, and the Wolfsburg representative explained that it would be made for at least three more years, but it could be expanded to five if demand is high enough.
Unlike the 1.6 TDI, the 1.4-liter oil burner in the Polo range will be abandoned, and it may not stick around until the fifth generation subcompact is replaced.
The new mild-hybrid setup might be introduced before the 1.6 diesel is eliminated from the range, which could mean that we could see it as early as 2020, if not sooner. VW’s research and development chief has confirmed that the 1.5-liter TDI EVO BlueMotion version of the Golf will be used as an “inspiration” for the new mild-hybrid drivetrain.
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