VW kicks off BlueMotion sustainability initiative
31/03/2006
Volkswagen announced Monday that it will launch a BlueMotion sustainability initiative at Auto Mobil International 2006 in Liepzig next week. VW's AMI booth will showcase its Polo BlueMotion Golf GT with the new TSI engine and the Concept A with a TSI engine fuelled by natural gas.The Polo BlueMotion which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show is the first production vehicle badged under the program. The new model will be launched in Switzerland Austria Sweden and Germany this summer. The diesel Polo includes a particulate filter and has been fine-tuned to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions with a taller final-drive ratio enhanced aerodynamics and engine modifications. The 80-horsepower BlueMotion will go 100 km on only 3.9 liters of diesel.
The TSI dual-charged engine technology debuted in the Golf GT as part of a VW campaign to marry maximum power with minimum fuel consumption. The CNG-powered version shown in the Concept A is a next-generation version that demonstrates what Volkswagen believes is an important bridge technology on the path to petroleum independence.
BlueMotion is not just about low fuel consumption and reduced car emissions it also stands for the whole company. “Blue” the Volkswagen colour represents the elements of water and air that have to be protected. “Motion” sums up the aspect of mobility heading forwards into the future.
The first production model bearing the new environmental trademark that Volkswagen will present in Leipzig is the Polo BlueMotion equipped with a particulate filter as standard. The 59kW/80hp subcompact consumes just 3.9 litres of diesel every hundred kilometres but is no less agile than a “conventional” Polo with the same output. Saving: 0.5 litres. Reduction in CO2 emissions: about 16g/km.
The consumption and emissions reductions have been achieved with a longer gear ratio aerodynamic fine tuning and modifications to the engine. The Volkswagen comes with a manual five-speed gearbox.
The Polo BlueMotion which is built in Pamplona Spain will be introduced in Switzerland Sweden Austria and Germany this summer.
The Golf GT is the first car to feature a TSI. This dual-charged petrol engine delivers 125kW/170hp 240 Newton metres of torque and allows a top speed of 220km/h. These values are coupled with an average consumption of just 7.2 litres. The GT is therefore leading the way in the Volkswagen engine campaign to ensure maximum power with minimum fuel consumption. A six-speed manual gearbox is used as standard in the GT. However the unique DSG dual-clutch gearbox is also available as an option for this Volkswagen.
The Golf GT TSI can now be ordered from Volkswagen partners for €22500. Visitors to Auto Mobil International will see another BlueMotion premiere under the bonnet of the Concept A study: It is powered by the first TSI to run on natural gas (CNG). This 1.4-litre engine (Twincharger) which is dual-charged by a compressor and a turbocharger delivers 110kW/150hp and consumes just 5.0kg of natural gas every hundred kilometres on average. High-powered engines like the TSI from Volkswagen are generally highly efficient. Using CNG (compressed natural gas 130 RON) improves this again considerably.
One of the positive consequences: The CO2 balance of the TSI engine running on natural gas is a further 20 to 25 percent cheaper than that of a TSI running on petrol. Furthermore TSI CNG is becoming one of the important bridge technologies on the way to mobility that is independent from crude oil. For example Synfuel a harmless biologically degradable liquid energy carrier that makes the CCS hybrid combustion method possible can be produced by converting natural gas to synthetic fuel (gas-to-liquid).
The Concept A with a top speed above 200km/h sees the sports cars and off-road vehicles of tomorrow combined in an avant-garde way. Its front section also indicates how a future Volkswagen off-roader positioned below the Touareg could look. This study features rear suicide doors. The body overhangs are short and tidy the bonnet is long and the C-pillars feature unique styling. 20-inch alloy wheels and 295 tyres fill out the striking widened wheel arches. The rear end communicates powerful elegance with its athletic shoulders. The tailgate is split in two. The section below the taillights folds down in the style of a pick-up and thus creates plenty of space for large objects.