Geneva Preview: Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion
Click on the image for a high res gallery of the BlueMotion Passat
The BlueMotion version of the mid-sized Volkswagen Passat is coming to the Geneva Motor Show in March. BlueMotion is the model designation VW is applying to the cleanest, most efficient variant of each of their platforms, and the Passat BlueMotion model is rated at 46 mpg which is pretty impressive for a car of this size. The CO2 emissions are rated at 136g/km. That efficiency means that a Passat BlueMotion can go almost 840 miles between fill ups. The BlueTec-equipped four cylinder diesel is rated at 105 hp and has a top speed of 120 mph, if you happen to be on one of the remaining unrestricted sections of the autobahn. It's unknown at this point if the Passat BlueMotion will come stateside, although other diesel Passat models should be headed this way, now that oil-burners are starting to catch on. The VW press release is after the jump.
[Source: Volkswagen]
Gallery: 2008 VW Passat BlueMotion
WORLD PREMIERE OF THE PASSAT BLUEMOTION IN GENEVA
Low fuel consumption: Passat BlueMotion consumes just 5.1 liters of diesel over 100 km
It just keeps running: Passat BlueMotion with 1,350 km range
Wolfsburg, Germany - The new Passat BlueMotion – no other vehicle of its size consumes less fuel. The saloon needs exactly 5.1 liters of diesel for 100 km. And just as convincing: a CO2 emission level of just 136 g/km. The world premiere of the Passat BlueMotion is 6th March at the Geneva Motor Show.
With the new Passat BlueMotion, Volkswagen is forcing ahead with the launch of vehicles that are particularly efficient and environmentally friendly. The first BlueMotion model was the Polo in the summer of 2006– an immediate success and its production figures have already been increased threefold due to the high demand throughout Europe. "BlueMotion" is now the seal of quality for a model version with the lowest rate of fuel consumption.
With reference to the new Passat BlueMotion this means: an average of 5.1 liters of diesel over 100 kilometers. The Passat Estate BlueMotion needs 5.2 liters (137 g/km) – also a top value, even in comparison to vehicles worldwide. Both body versions have a driving range of up to 1,350 kilometers with a full tank! With an average annual distance driven of 15,000 kilometers, this means that the driver only needs to refuel eleven times a year with an average of 68 Euro* in fuel costs per month.
Volkswagen can achieve such low consumption figures through the fine tuning of the engine, which was already extremely efficient. In this case a 77 kW / 105 bhp TDI engine with a diesel particulate filter fitted as standard. This fuel efficiency does not, however, reduce levels of agility. The Passat BlueMotion can accelerate up to 193 km/h (Estate: 190 km/h) if required. That is an element of the BlueMotion philosophy: fuel efficiency and agility in a combination that still makes driving fun.
* = Basis: 3rd week of 2007, price in Germany, details from the Association of the German Petroleum Industry
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
smith purdum 6:12PM (1/31/2008)
when will the deisel passat be available in usa? what is the price tag? automatic?
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The Car Geek 8:57PM (2/12/2007)
i have a VW, it's been years since i have purchased this beetle and been changing my autoparts with volkswagen aftermarket parts for the reason that i could not buy new one. Now in case i got some money i'm definitely buy this car.
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James 12:20PM (2/13/2007)
105hp? Sounds like it's running the standard TDI motor rather than the old Passat TDI which was 120hp in the US. Of course torque is what matters but they don't list that here. The 120hp motor had significantly more torque than the 105hp motor. Also, the jump from 36mpg on the old one to 46mpg on this one makes it look like VW will only sell one TDI motor for their cars in the US.
Given the extra weight of the Passat the Jetta might be the way to go. Or hold out for the BMW 320d.
I hate to bad-mouth VW, but as a life-long VW owner, then being asked to pay $7500 when the automatic went out on my 2000 Bug TDI at 55k miles, I've sworn off VW for life. Heck, BMW parts are cheaper than VW parts these days...
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Karkus 11:48AM (2/13/2007)
Hey Bloggers! I like this blog, but PLEASE, when you post MPGs, state US or UK gallons (and whether it's city highway, or combined.) In this case you listed the CO2, which is nice, since that makes me pretty certain it's actually US gallons.
Here we finally have a better Bluemotion comparison with the midsize Prius (which is actually between the Jetta and Passat in size, but this is certainly better than trying to compare it to the subcompact Polo, like people tried in the past).
The Prius has similar HP, slightly lower weight and size (maybe 10-20%), but also slightly better MPG (~10-20%?). So we can now say they are pretty comparable.
However, in terms of CO2 emissions, the Prius wins hands down at 104 g/km (vs 136) since CO2 emissions correct for the fuel density differences.
Still, I applaud VW for making cleaner diesels and hope they bring their TDIs back to the US quicker than scheduled. The US needs all the help it can get in reducing petroleum usage, and whether it's diesel, hybrid, electric, fuel cell, etc doesn't matter - we need it all.
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JSacharuk 1:46PM (2/13/2007)
Ignore the mpg values; use the L/100km. It's more standard, and if you want, google will do the conversion for you. If you type in:
5.1 L/100km in mpg
it gives 46.12mpg, which is American gallons. You have to ask special for UK gallons. :)
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Sam Abuelsamid 2:41PM (2/13/2007)
We always try to convert to miles per US gallon. As for city/hwy/combined, the press information often doesn't say which. Sometimes they will list 2 numbers implying city/hwy, other times, they only list one number and don't say what it is.
As for power, there are more powerful diesels available in the Passat, but the BlueMotion models are intended as the most efficient versions, which usually means smaller engines.
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MC 7:33PM (4/24/2007)
What is the reliability of the Passat like. I want a car I can keep for 10 years.
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