Volkswagen’s 3-cylinder TDI does 30 km/l in Polo Bluemotion

Volkswagen’s 3-cylinder TDI does 30 km/l in Polo Bluemotion

Volkswagen’s new baby in its diesel engine range, a 1.2-litre three-cylinder TDI, was paraded at the recent 31st International Vienna Motor Symposium. This block will feature in the latest Polo Bluemotion, which will be delivered to European customers this month. Bluemotion, Wolfsburg’s eco car brand name, took home the World Green Car gong at the recent 2010 World Car Awards.

Although this 1.2 TDI is small in capacity and has only three cylinders, its 74 bhp and torque of 180 Nm at 2,000 rpm should prove to be adequate in the reigning European Car of the Year, and spirited if you put it on Malaysian urban roads (the Honda Civic 2.0, for instance, makes 188 Nm at 4,500 rpm). Less cylinders means less weight and friction power loss, and VW says that it has miked out the most performance, maximum “acoustic comfort” and weight reduction from this configuration without compromising the engine’s thermodynamic efficiency.

Fuel consumption? The previous gen Polo Bluemotion’s claimed figures was 26.3 km/l (3.8 litres per 100 km) and this car is expected to achieve 30.3 km/l (3.3 litres per 100 km) while emitting only 87 g/km of CO2. Green (or rather blue) measures include stop/start, higher gearing, regenerative braking, tweaked aerodynamics and low rolling resistance tyres. Cars like these are the reason why Europeans have not wholeheartedly embraced hybrid technology.

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.

10% discount when you renew your car insurance

Compare prices between different insurer providers and use the promo code 'PAULTAN10' when you make your payment to save the most on your car insurance renewal compared to other competing services.

Car Insurance

Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • musee on May 03, 2010 at 4:56 pm

    awsome…. this is what i call fuel saving.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • when is this coming to our shore? or our local diesel kenot pakai? or still trying to protect our beloved P1 and P2???

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Danny Tan (Member) on May 03, 2010 at 5:26 pm

      Euro 2 fuel memang kenot pakai :)
      Latest European engines are all Euro 5 compliant

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Even if it comes here, there are a few things that will make it unusable here, presumably the our euro2m diesel. If not, would be my perfect city car, despite the for sure heavy price tag.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • mystvearn on May 03, 2010 at 6:18 pm

      Even it does make it here, tax will make it cost like RM120k region…Even if it cost less than 100k, people will still say= 1.2l only kah.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • theanswer on May 03, 2010 at 5:11 pm

    today, good engine came from vw. see that torque number..it came from 1.2L engine. thats what others should follow turbo diesel engine for small car..no need extra cylinder or cc.

    p/s-p1 really need to speed up their campro turbo development..we dont have to use big engine.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Habib on May 03, 2010 at 6:53 pm

      I think the Turbo Campro (Called The Phoenix Project) will be coming out end of this year or early next year. But it’ll be more mouth watering when it is used in Neo GTI!!!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Tiadaid on May 03, 2010 at 5:28 pm

    To get that figure you’d have to drive slowly & economically. Can lead-footed Malaysians do that? I seriously doubt it!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • We really miss out on these types of cars….huge torque wt frugal fuel consumption, just perfect for daily usage

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Squawk on May 03, 2010 at 5:43 pm

    Makes the Prius look like a waste of money.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Motorist on May 04, 2010 at 1:11 pm

      Soooo true.

      Yanks (well ‘Republic of’ California) are enamoured with electric cuz’ they want to be seen as “Green”. Yanks in general have no love for diesels, usually opting for high cc petrol V8. Maybe it’s because petrol is cheap & plentiful there.

      They have never entertained the option of new generation direct injection turbo diesels, rather straight jump into the electric band wagon, simply to go so called “Green”.

      Problem is, what ever America (read: Hollywood) does, the whole third world blindly follows (this includes the wanna be America, Australia).

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • when are we going to get normal standard diesel? oh my. diesel euro 2m…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • wow, can tapao most 2.0 car up genting….diesel diesel diesel…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • shawal on May 03, 2010 at 6:12 pm

    well….malaysia is still a developing nation….
    Grass always looks greener from the other side….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Alex Yoong on May 03, 2010 at 6:27 pm

    30.3 km/l means 85 miles/gallon (for old timers like me) . Or about 6 sen/km. A bit difficult to believe this can be achieved in real life, but still even 25km/l would be fantastic.

    Anyway, I wonder whether a 3-cylinder diesel engine would be very rough (anyone still remembers the Charade Diesel?)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • I get really amuse when I people that my Fiat Panda can easily do 20km/l… and even that running at 3K RPM and 110km/h.

      Imagine running at 90km/h @ 2500RPM…

      Conti engines are so much more Fuel Economical than everyone would believe. What with VW’s Bluemotion tech and Fiat’s MultiAir tech on small engines is the way to go. Couple that with diesel, and you’ll have massive savings on both the consumer’s pocket and on the environment…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Habib on May 03, 2010 at 6:48 pm

    Maybe this will be the upcoming lineup for VW CKD plant in Malaysia in 2013?
    But diesel engines here is not a viable market, due to the engine is not popular among the majority of Malaysians.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • gavin on May 03, 2010 at 7:24 pm

    We should be complaining about fuel quality instead of pricing, but that’s malaysia for you, mentality, attitude, character always 5-10 years behind in everything BUT not their fault, it never is

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Littlefire on May 03, 2010 at 7:29 pm

    Already prove that Diesel technology is more powerfull, efficient & cheaper to maintain compare to hybrid… If not why European is using it?!?

    If you guys go search an artical by Autocar Polo Bluemotion VS Civic Hybrid.. Well VW win in the end… Just think, Diesel engine dont have much parts to maintain compare to a sophisticated hybrid system. If parts going to fail, like battery system.. Well is going to cost a bomb on an hybrid compare to an diesel engine…

    The only thing in Malaysia people cannot accept diesel, is the quality of the diesel not the cars lorries which are emitting black smoke. Please check in the net that the better Euro standard, the less smoke they produce due to less sulfur. If the fuel is cleaner and better, why not? I will accept a diesel engine car anytime!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Not exactly. Sulfur is not the direct cause of soot (black smoke). But it does play a part.

      To get rid of soot, you’ve gotta have a DPF, Diesel Particulate Filter. But they are prone to sulfur damages. You can use the DPF here but you might need to change it a few times during your 5 year use of the vehicle but it’s not cheap.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • The Loner on May 03, 2010 at 10:32 pm

      Agree. Euro 2M diesel hurts the DPF a lot. That’s why most of the diesel engines in pickups & SUVs are only comply up to Euro 3.

      Addition: Euro 4 compliant diesel engines must have DPF and nitrogen oxide (NOx) absorber installed on exhaust system.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • i wouldn mind paying 400 or 500 a year for the filter. part of it is the fuel economy n part of it is because it would be fun to drive a small car with this kind of torque. its like a small hot hatch….plus big torque…fun n smile in the face…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Slum In Bolehland on May 03, 2010 at 7:31 pm

    wow if it really here sure i can take this baby go around peninsular without thinking when to refuel….haha as im light foot guy….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • KL Penang pergi balik in 1 tank…… fuyoh……~

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • VW is leading the pack for more efficient, powerful yet smaller engine. Diesel engines always last longer than their petrol counterpart. In Singapore the 1.4 Scirocco and Golf is very popular, similar in power to 2.0 cc NA cars yet mileage is very good! If only proton have been bought over by VW then malaysia proton pun boleh!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • reezz on May 04, 2010 at 12:00 am

    waa,..serupa dari jb pergi golok then pergi batam then pergi kuching then pergi bandung then balik jb semulaa,,,,,,woooooo…..maju2,,respek abes sama itu orang luar malaysia….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • CIMBUSJ10 on May 04, 2010 at 1:00 am

    DSZ should be booted out first if VW were to come to M’sia.
    He’s driving a foreign registered Lotus ,wherelse he’s expecting
    Msian to support P1 Lotus tuned dinosours! WTH !

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Tiadaid on May 04, 2010 at 8:13 am

      Lotus is still owned by Proton last time I checked. What’s wrong with that?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • truely on May 04, 2010 at 2:23 pm

        Then Msian should be driving one as well.
        Not just for the MD’s use only.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • zanggief on May 04, 2010 at 8:29 am

    it’s a pretty good machine. BTW, we can’t expect any of this comes in until euro 5 is avail or the engine is tuned to accept euro2…too bad

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • TerBaboo on May 04, 2010 at 9:57 am

    i remembered once when James May(Top Gear old season) saying about the 2004 Hyundai Accent with pointless 3-cylinder CRDi Diesel engine..and Jeremy did laugh out loud..and became the worst car at that year…i wonder what they would say about this..huhu.. :-|

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • budleee on May 04, 2010 at 11:03 am

    europeans with their manual, long geared, small turbo diesels..

    americans with their automatic hybirds..

    japanese with their Kei car class

    but every one is doing some type of pure electric vehicle, flex fuel car, biodiesel car, and fuel cell car.

    * i still want an automatic….. even if its a semi auto… the semi auto in Fiat 500 has start stop, and so does is slush box in Audi’s start stop models (if I am not mistaken)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Hey Paul

    First off, loving the show Driven. Havent missed a single episode (yes all 4 of them, hehe)

    What do you mean when you say higher gearing?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • I would say it’s longer gear ratio. The car might be able to cruise at 110kph at just 1800rpm. Just a guess.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • p1basher on May 04, 2010 at 6:01 pm

    sounds good. p1 shud really offer to sell themselves to VW.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Motorist on May 04, 2010 at 7:49 pm

      Have you forgotten VW made an offer (in 2005) for P1 but was told to F&%# off by the G.

      Look at how VW turn around Skoda. From zero to hero, all thanks to VW. P1 could be the Skoda of Asia.

      Should there be a sale, G & the cronies are more worried about what VW & the public will find out when this can of worms is open. All the corruption, embezzlement, misuse of power will be out for all to see.

      There is no way the current talks will go anywhere. The lost of ketuanan face is one factor but the outing of the can of worms is more worrying for G & cronies.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • mr_3m on May 14, 2010 at 10:28 am

        110% agree with u…. P1 being P1… they do not deserve to be like Skoda if they remain like they are now & since their inception in 1985…. badly run, badly managed and dragging along plenty of political baggage…

        even the Czechs have better common and business sense than Msians…

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • limsk on May 08, 2010 at 12:05 am

    great eco car for city driving. European knows very well about the effects of CO2 for environment. Even Thais, just starting using eco cars thus begin to appreciate it.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

Add a comment

required

required