Geneva 2009: Volkswagen reveals Polo BlueMotion concept, 87 g/km CO2!
by Sam Abuelsamid on Mar 3rd 2009 at 2:59AM 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion Concept
Volkswagen revealed the all-new Polo concept, expected to come to the US market in the next couple of years. This new B-segment car comes in three- and five-door hatchback flavors with a range of gas and diesel engines, but the leader of the pack is the BlueMotion model with 96 g/km of CO2 emissions. More importantly, VW showed a concept for the next-gen. BlueMotion model that will launch in 2010.
The BlueMotion concept uses an updated 1.2L three cylinder TDI diesel, with 74 hp. Combined with 15-inch low rolling resistance tires, a blanked off grille, extended rocker panels for lower drag, automatic start stop, and brake energy regeneration. The bottom line is 71.3 mpg (US) and 87 g/km of CO2 emissions. That makes the new BlueMotion the most efficient five passenger internal combustion car on the road.
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
PRESS RELEASE
To the Point: BlueMotionTechnologies – Geneva Motor Show 2009
Five World Premieres in the Name of Sustainability
Polo BlueMotion Concept Car: World's most fuel efficient five-seater consumes just 3.3 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers
Golf BlueMotion: At 3.8 liters the most fuel efficient in its class
Golf Plus BlueMotion: At 4.3 liters the most fuel efficient high-roof compact
Passat CC BlueTDI: World's cleanest diesel sedan with SCR catalytic converter
Touran TSI EcoFuel: Dynamic Twincharger driving for just 4.60* €/100 km
Wolfsburg / Geneva, 03 March 2009 - Volkswagen is expanding its range of extremely fuel efficient, clean and economical models with great vigor. Making world premieres at the Geneva Motor Show 2009 (March 5 to 15) are the Polo BlueMotion concept car, the new Golf BlueMotion, the next Golf Plus BlueMotion, the exclusive Passat CC BlueTDI Individual and the natural gas powered Touran TSI EcoFuel.
World premiere I: Polo BlueMotion Concept Car
* The new Number 1 when it comes to economy is the Polo BlueMotion Concept Car. The world's most fuel efficient five-seater is still a concept. Fuel consumption: 3.3 liter! CO2 emissions: just 87 g/km! Likelihood of going into production: extremely high! High tech on board: a new 1.2 liter common rail TDI producing 55 kW / 75 PS, automatic start-stop and a system for regenerative braking – recovery of braking energy. (For more on the new Polo BlueMotion Concept Car see separate press text.)
World premiere II: Golf BlueMotion
* In the vehicle class above, Volkswagen is showing the fuel efficient car of today in the form of the new Golf BlueMotion. Based on the sixth generation of the bestseller, this is a talented car that should appeal both to those who drive high business mileages as well as private users with an average fuel consumption of 3.8 liters (99 g/km CO2). Like the Polo, the Golf also has an automatic start-stop system and makes use of regenerative braking. Despite all of its economizing, the 77 kW / 105 PS strong Golf BlueMotion is anything but lacking in performance. Just the opposite is true thanks to its 250 Newton-meter of torque.
World premiere III: Golf Plus BlueMotion
* No less is true of the new Golf Plus BlueMotion, which uses the same new 1.6 TDI with common rail injection and identical systems such as regenerative braking and a start-stop system. Fuel consumption for the versatile high-roofed Golf is an average of 4.3 liters (114 g/km CO2) per 100 kilometers, depending on vehicle configuration. That is the best value in a competitive field, and it represents an additional 0.5 liter reduction in fuel consumption compared to the first Golf Plus BlueMotion. This Golf can easily handle 1,100 kilometers on one fill of its 55 liter fuel tank.
World premiere IV: Passat CC BlueTDI
* The new Passat CC BlueTDI takes you even further with a range of over 1,300 kilometers. Admittedly, the fuel tank is a bit larger and so is fuel consumption. Yet this car is a genuine sensation, since its engine – the 105 kW / 143 PS BlueTDI with downstream SCR catalytic converter that significantly reduces nitrogen oxides – is considerably more powerful and is simultaneously the cleanest diesel in the world! This 214 km/h fast cruising sedan needs just 5.2 liters (!) of diesel to cover 100 kilometers. CO2: 139 g/km. Even today, this Volkswagen already meets the emission limits of the Euro-6 standard planned for 2014. Upon request, the Passat CC BlueTDI can be ordered with an automatic 6-speed dual clutch transmission. This much is certain: In the everyday business world this car answers practically all of the questions posed by our times. Simply put: it is sustainable. By the way, the BlueTDI version of the touring sedan being shown in Geneva is based on the brand new Passat CC Individual. Identifying feature: the finest of materials and most exclusive equipment. This Volkswagen is ideal as an alternative for all those car drivers who want to drive a high performance touring sedan while simultaneously making a statement about sustainability. Because the Passat CC BlueTDI Individual unites both of these: high exclusivity and extremely low emissions.
World premiere V: Touran TSI EcoFuel
* That is what the Touran TSI EcoFuel does well too – possibly better than any other van in the world. That is because the "normal" Touran EcoFuel (80 kW / 109 PS) is one of the most successful natural gas cars in Europe. Now, however, Volkswagen is presenting the world premiere of an entirely new natural gas version of the van: the Touran TSI EcoFuel. Its key technical trademark: dual charging via turbocharger and supercharger ("Twincharger"). Its dynamic performance is unlike that of any other natural gas vehicle previously seen. Excellent performance contrasts with a high level of efficiency here: the new Touran TSI EcoFuel is so economical that 100 kilometers in this van, with its 110 kW / 150 PS of power, only costs about 4.60 Euros (based on average price of natural gas in Germany, February 2009). Although the Touran TSI EcoFuel goes to work with a passion thanks to its "Twincharger", the van consumes just 4.8 kilograms of natural gas per 100 kilometers when paired with a standard 6-speed transmission (129 g/km CO2; 7-speed-DSG: 4.7 kilograms and 126 g/km CO2).
BlueMotionTechnologies – New umbrella brand for a world of efficiency
* Each of these five new Volkswagens represents an individual solution tailored to meet the challenges of our times. Volkswagen is presenting all of these vehicles together under a new umbrella brand: BlueMotionTechnologies. This label covers all production-mature or near-production technologies and products that significantly reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. These are developments such as the start-stop system, energy recovery by regenerative braking and the highly innovative SCR catalytic converter. They also include the NOx storage catalytic converter already successfully introduced in the USA, electric and hybrid drive systems and innovative drive systems like the one on the new TSI EcoFuel.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ryan 4:56AM (3/03/2009)
Probably the one car that I would actually consider buying new. $20,000 please?
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Sasparilla 11:04AM (3/03/2009)
V.W., please bring this to the US with the small deisel - at 71mpg you could take alot of Hybrid marketshare.
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Carney 11:17AM (3/03/2009)
The problem is that with petro-diesel, just as with gasoline, you're still drilling far underground to suck up long-sequestered carbon and then refining, burning, and throwing it into the atmosphere, adding NEW, additional, net increased CO2.
So who cares if you're adding less NEW carbon into the air than some other petroleum-burner?
And why on earth spend lots of R&D cash on trying to do that?
Especially when for a measly $100 per vehicle you could give it the ability to run just as easily on gasoline or on any clean-burning, no toxic spill problem, non-carcinogenic, non-mutagenic ALCOHOL fuel such as ethanol or bio-methanol, the CO2 emissions of which are carbon neutral because they come from the biosphere and are part of the carbon cycle already. No new net additional CO2 here.
In one stroke you slash net CO2 emissions by at least 85% (if you're running on E85) or more if you run on higher-mix alcohol.
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wxman 12:38PM (3/03/2009)
CI (diesel) engines are just as amenable to using biofuels (e.g., BTL) as SI engines, maybe more so.
-M.Dub 3:46PM (3/03/2009)
"most efficient ICE CONCEPT on the road today". As much I would love to get my mitts on this car, credit where it is due, this car isn't available yet so it could still go through changes before production...fingers crossed that it doesn't...
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-M.Dub 3:49PM (3/03/2009)
unless I missed something...is this car available to buy???
Dan Palmer 10:20PM (3/03/2009)
BBC America's Top Gear featured this car (along with the Jaguar XJ diesel and the Subaru Legacy Diesel) on the Monday 3/2 episode. Check out the rerun Sunday 3/8.
They had a competition to see is they could get from somewhere in France to Blackpool, about 750 miles, on a single tank.
Remarkably, all 3 cars made it.
The Polo has a 10 gallon tank, so it averaged 75mpg in mixed driving.
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camaj 2:06PM (3/05/2009)
Dan, it would have averaged 75mpg (imperial gallons) if it used all it fuel, perhaps there was some left in the tank at the end. Given that the BM polo can get 88.3mpg on the motorway I would imagine there'd be a gallon and a half at least left since they would have been driving on the motorway almost all the way.
Also the Topgear team would have used the current Bluemotion Polo, whereas this article references the 2010 polo which by my estimates would consume 85.56mpg (imperial) combined (71.2mpg+20% to convert to imp gallons)
I don't know why VW don't just reintroduce the Lupo 3L (which was only available in mainland Europe)
As Carney points out, it's not perfect, but if people are going to drive oil burning cars (and they will) at least they'll have the option of one that's two to three times as efficient as an "average" car and there's a possibility of using biodiesel or even straight vegetable oil although there's a possibility those options, as well as ethonol, might not be such a good idea.
Dan Palmer 11:18PM (3/05/2009)
I can only report what the episode showed. Hammond managed to cover 730+ miles on a single tank. The needle was below empty at least 30 miles.
This was real world driving to. Over some mountains. Stop and go traffic around Birmingham. All in all very impressive economy,