| Nowadays it is either Hybrids or Diesels and | | | | slightly rough, but since it has the latest common rail |
| Volkswagen, our friendly neighborhood car | | | | injection and the turbo is a variable geometry unit, it |
| manufacturer, has taken economy and the meaning of | | | | could be as smooth as those petrol Daihatsu engines. |
| green a small step further by launching the latest Polo | | | | So an assumption is made that there will not be too |
| Bluemotion TDI. The small step taken is the fact that it | | | | much refinement lost anyway. |
| has chopped off one cylinder from the four cylinder | | | | Now back to the story at hand. According to |
| diesel and it is only 1.2-litres in size. This was recently | | | | Volkswagen, this car is expected to achieve 3.3-litres |
| paraded at the 31st International Vienna Motor | | | | per 100 km while emitting only 87 g/km of CO2. The |
| Symposium. | | | | previous gen Polo Bluemotion's claimed figures was |
| 1.2-litres, diesel, a turbo and three cylinders makes | | | | 3.8-litres per 100 km. So smaller is better for diesel |
| 74bhp and about 180Nm at 2,000rpm. This should be | | | | sipping. |
| more than adequate to move the Polo Bluemotion TDI | | | | Bluemotion measures include stop/start functions (for |
| in city traffic. As an example, the petrol 1.5-litre Subaru | | | | those longer than usual traffic light waiting), higher |
| Impreza has only about 142Nm torque made higher up | | | | gearing (It is hooked up to a five-speed manual |
| the rev range of 3,200rpm. | | | | transmission which boasts extra-long ratios - fifth gives |
| Three cylinders also mean less engine weight and | | | | 35mph for every 1,000rpm), regenerative braking, |
| frictional power losses, and VW says that it has | | | | tweaked aerodynamics and 14inch low rolling |
| produced the best in terms of the most performance, | | | | resistance tires on special alloy wheels. The |
| maximum "acoustic comfort" and weight reduction | | | | air-conditioning has been removed in this model as well, |
| from this configuration without compromising the | | | | similarly to the electric adjustment for the door mirror |
| engine's thermodynamic efficiency (some say that | | | | and the remote central locking. So much for getting |
| each cylinder should be around 333cc to around | | | | yourself some cool air during the sunny weather then. |
| 600cc for efficient combustion to happen). | | | | It is already on sale in Europe where oil burners like this |
| Well, the only three cylinder I've driven are the ones | | | | is king nowadays. Now who in their right frame of mind |
| fitted on the smallest of the Peroduas sold around | | | | would go buy a Toyota Prius which uses a hefty |
| here. The Daihatsu three pot engines used are not the | | | | 4.7litres per 100km of petrol? A hybrid makes no |
| last word of refinement and are thrummy in nature, it | | | | sense after this. Buy a diesel. This diesel car saves |
| has an off-beat warble that is kind of "full of | | | | more of the black stuff than that purportedly green |
| character" so to speak. However these engines are | | | | hybrid. In other words, more money saved as well. And |
| petrol, and not diesel. So this Volkswagen may be | | | | if you were to ask me, I'd say way to go, Volks! |