Frankfurt preview: The Volkswagen City Expert
It's been known for many months now that Volkswagen is working on a new small car meant to challenge the Smart ForTwo as a super-compact city car. We've even known that they would be showing it at least in concept form next month at the Frankfurt Motor Show. We now have a rendering of wha the new car might look like. The super-mini is thought to be only about 3.5m long yet still has room for four. Like the Smart a three-cylinder engine and possibly even a twin later on will be mounted at the back driving the wheels attached to the rear axle. With the extra row of seats, even if only for occasional use this would make the City Expert potentially far more practical than the ForTwo.
[Source: Focus Online]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
rgseidl 10:46AM (8/19/2007)
Other than blind nostalgia for the original Beetle, there is really no good reason for putting a engine in the rear of a four-seater city runabout. The engine for this will be water-cooled and severely tilted, with the radiator and other engine peripherals up front. That means less power out of the engine, high noise levels in the interior and a rather impractical split cargo hold.
An 800cc gasoline-powered two-cylinder ICE with inertial compensation (cp. BMW F800 motorcycles), mounted in the front, should be sufficient for emerging markets. The gear box would be a 5-speed manual. The top gear should be long to reduce noise when cruising at 100-120kph.
Upgrade options for Western markets should include a 1.4L four-cylinder NA engine, a 1.4L turbo, a micro-hybrid system and, a cone ring CVT (or perhaps, a DSG) tuned to always operate the engine near optimum efficiency.
A diesel option really makes little sense for a car this small, but will likely be offered regardless.
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ug 4:21PM (8/19/2007)
Maybe (gasp) they should go back to an aircooled engine then?
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rgseidl 5:18PM (8/19/2007)
Air cooling an inline 4 that puts out 80-100hp is very difficult. The original Beetle engine delivered 34hp. Interior space heating in winter was always a problem, you need a heat exchanger in the exhaust.
No, for a 4-seater car that you buy not to do donuts but to pick them up from the grocery store, the best place for the engine is up front. This type of product should be differentiatiated on utility, durability and price, not whatever funky weird drivetrain layout some committee in the marketing department came up with.
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Donald MacDonald 6:17PM (9/03/2007)
could be in order putting engine at rear. Little need then for power steering. Radiator could be at rear. Heat would need to be piped through to front. If 3 cyl - it could be a narrow-angle (15 degree between banks) with one head - as with the VR6 and VR5. Two cylinders one side and 1 cylinder the other side. Would hope for common rail diesel, turbo, intercooler (perhaps air-water) and DSG in preference to CVT. The top model for 1st. world should have electric windows, ABS, ESP - disc brakes all 4 wheels. No space-saver spare.
With rear engine, no need for CV joints nor power steering - though with front engine, electric power steering must be getting cheaper with volume - and it can be placed anywhere not needing an engine driven pulley and belt. Some photos look good, and with VW it would be quality. It would kill Smart for two whether front or rear engined. A petrol in-line or VR3 should have petrol direct injection. Looks good in impressions given. Probably could underprice and would outsell the new Punto variation, the 500 Cinquecento. VW and Porsche are wonderful firms. Audi and Bentley are marvellous. Am less sure about Bugatti Veyron and Lamborghini.
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Donald MacDonald 6:13PM (9/03/2007)
could be in order putting engine at rear. Little need then for power steering. Radiator could be at rear. Heat would need to be piped through to front. If 3 cyl - it could be a narrow-angle (15 degree between banks) with one head - as with the VR6 and VR5. Two cylinders one side and 1 cylinder the other side. Would hope for common rail diesel, turbo, intercooler (perhaps air-water) and DSG in preference to CVT. The top model for 1st. world should have electric windows, ABS, ESP - disc brakes all 4 wheels. No space-saver spare.
With rear engine, no need for CV joints nor power steering - though with front engine, electric power steering must be getting cheaper with volume - and it can be placed anywhere not needing an engine driven pulley and belt. Some photos look good, and with VW it would be quality. It would kill Smart for two whether front or rear engined. A petrol in-line or VR3 should have petrol direct injection. Looks good in impressions given. Probably could underprice and would outsell the new Punto variation, the 500 Cinquecento. VW and Porsche are wonderful firms. Audi and Bentley are marvellous. Am less sure about Bugatti Veyron and Lamborghini.
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Donald MacDonald 6:15PM (9/03/2007)
could be in order putting engine at rear. Little need then for power steering. Radiator could be at rear. Heat would need to be piped through to front. If 3 cyl - it could be a narrow-angle (15 degree between banks) with one head - as with the VR6 and VR5. Two cylinders one side and 1 cylinder the other side. Would hope for common rail diesel, turbo, intercooler (perhaps air-water) and DSG in preference to CVT. The top model for 1st. world should have electric windows, ABS, ESP - disc brakes all 4 wheels. No space-saver spare.
With rear engine, no need for CV joints nor power steering - though with front engine, electric power steering must be getting cheaper with volume - and it can be placed anywhere not needing an engine driven pulley and belt. Some photos look good, and with VW it would be quality. It would kill Smart for two whether front or rear engined. A petrol in-line or VR3 should have petrol direct injection. Looks good in impressions given. Probably could underprice and would outsell the new Punto variation, the 500 Cinquecento. VW and Porsche are wonderful firms. Audi and Bentley are marvellous. Am less sure about Bugatti Veyron and Lamborghini. Cylinders should be 4 valve petrol and diesel.
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