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Road Trip - Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion
31 Dec 2008|13,424 views
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The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler is bigger, and the EGR valve is electronically-actuated for greater accuracy. Should the laws of thermodynamics be observed, you'll also know that these modifications translate to greater efficiency from the engine alone, save for other changes done to the car.
 |
As you might expect, you're also going to find a diesel particulate filter somewhere in there. It works in conjunction with a thin-walled oxidation catalytic converter that Volkswagen claims reacts quickly in order to further reduce stray emissions. The list goes on - all numerous, minute measures taken to ensure that the engine runs as efficiently as possible. An oil cooler that regulates the engine temperature is just the start of the list...
At the end of it all, it delivers just 99 g/km output for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This might not be significant to Singaporeans or anywhere in the region for that matter. But in stringent Europe, where cars are taxed based on what leaves their back-pipe, this is quite important.
Take the United Kingdom as an example. The entry-level Polo BlueMotion without air-conditioning might be the only car on sale today that resides in the "A" tax category. And bracket "A" means it's tax free.
Pile in the air-compressor and emissions get driven up by 5 g/km. Now that warrants a 35 pound levy on your annual tax bill which is not much we know, but it sort of demonstrates our point.
Transmission over
The ratios of the existing MQ200 (M means manual, Q stands for transverse and 200 refers to the torque specific output limit) five-speeder have grown. Gears three through five are between 12 and 24 percent longer than the TDI. Finally, bespoke 14-inch alloy wheels and low-resistance tyres complete the drivetrain package, and give rise to aerodynamic styling devices.
 |
Volkswagen claims that all components were based on exacting calculations and wind tunnel tests. Unfathomable figures of "Cw = 0.3 Cw x A = 0.62" were obtained off their press site, pardon my ignorance.
Translated to the car, they spell for a front-end spoiler, new radiator grille surround that covers all save for a horizontal breather gap, and a rear roof-edge spoiler to finish it off with a drag factor of 0.30 Cd - that's the same value which the NSX and the insane Koenigsegg CCX carry.
Driving Impressions
We navigated our way around weekend-Selangor, with emphasis on Kuala Lumpur as an urban route, utilising the North-South Highway as the preferred travel medium to and from Singapore.
On short inter-city trips between Malaysian towns, our BlueMotion test car used about 3 litres of diesel over a distance of 70 km. This escalated to 4.2 litres for 100 km travelled (l/100 km) for moderately smooth city driving with a start-stop interval of at least two to three minutes between the lights.
At times, the car fared better in terms of actual consumption, but predictably worsened when stranded in traffic during the peak hour, averaging 5.3 l/100 km through the infamous Jalan Ampang-Bukit Bintang-KL City Centre jam. In these conditions, first gear was pleasantly tall - enough for us to amble along without having to switch between first and second. That left our focus to squeezing the throttle.
And what fun we had, squeezing and squirting the BlueMotion's 195 Nm of peak torque, which is available from 1,800 to 2,200 rpm. Surprisingly lively around town, it had a nice growl and throb to boot. This alone led us to become ill-disciplined, with each cog-swap happening around 2,500 rpm.
But the real difference was along faster-moving roads, especially with the top three gears. Fifth is the longest we've ever seen in a small car - 120 km/h lugs only 2,000 rpm - a real benefit when travelling interstate. At such speeds on a straight and level stretch of road, the Polo parsimoniously consumed a little less than 3 l/100 km, and sounded as if it were ticking a little over idle.
But the Polo doesn't cease to entertain when driven enthusiastically either. Those taller ratios meant holding on to third and fourth along twisty B-roads, raising consumption to around 6.5-7 l/100 km. But given that the car doesn't have much power, the 10 mm lowered suspension and 165/70 R14 Michelins proved to be quite entertaining when it came to turning the car around low speed corners.
 |
Another good side-effect of the overall aerodynamics and tyre package is that the BlueMotion coasts a long way down the highway without loosing its momentum.
A little petrol versus diesel
On average, a 45-litre tank of diesel costs S$65, while one hundred kilometres in the Polo works out to around S$5.43, assuming the price of diesel to be S$1.429 per litre.
In real world situations, our calculated fuel averages meant it was possible to do at least 1,100 km in the Polo with a moderately heavy foot. That means if you travel an average of 100 km a day, you're going to end up spending approximately S$180 worth of diesel every month.
Compare this to real world, average consumption figures of a 1.3-litre Honda Jazz (6.5-7 l/100 km), and you'll arrive at S$10 for every 100 km travelled (assume S$1.53 per litre of petrol). Over the equivalent distance of 1,100 km, you would have spent S$330.
And when put against its European rivals, and you'll discover that the savings are even more substantial, even after the Polo's road tax penalty of S$2,500 per year.
How about the Hybrids?
Inevitably, comparisons are going to be made when it comes to the similarly priced hybrids, with the cheapest going for around S$80,000, almost S$4000 more than the Polo.
In exercise, the Civic Hybrid and Toyota Prius are seamless in operation, where it's virtually impossible to discern where and how power is being delivered, be it from the battery or their engines. There's a host of regenerative braking technologies, and an EV button on the Toyota that allows one to run the car on electric power alone for up to 1.5 kilometres.
But when last tested, the 1,325 kg Prius managed only 5.8 l/100 km in real world conditions. Consider this - our trusty little diesel came very close to its quoted average consumption figures of 3.8 l/100 km over a distance of nearly 890 km. And we weren't being light-footed, mind you. And in today's plethora of "mp4 generation" cars and people, the relatively simple, gadget and fuss-free Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion means a lot.
 |
|
The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler is bigger, and the EGR valve is electronically-actuated for greater accuracy. Should the laws of thermodynamics be observed, you'll also know that these modifications translate to greater efficiency from the engine alone, save for other changes done to the car.
|
As you might expect, you're also going to find a diesel particulate filter somewhere in there. It works in conjunction with a thin-walled oxidation catalytic converter that Volkswagen claims reacts quickly in order to further reduce stray emissions. The list goes on - all numerous, minute measures taken to ensure that the engine runs as efficiently as possible. An oil cooler that regulates the engine temperature is just the start of the list...
At the end of it all, it delivers just 99 g/km output for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This might not be significant to Singaporeans or anywhere in the region for that matter. But in stringent Europe, where cars are taxed based on what leaves their back-pipe, this is quite important.
Take the United Kingdom as an example. The entry-level Polo BlueMotion without air-conditioning might be the only car on sale today that resides in the "A" tax category. And bracket "A" means it's tax free.
Pile in the air-compressor and emissions get driven up by 5 g/km. Now that warrants a 35 pound levy on your annual tax bill which is not much we know, but it sort of demonstrates our point.
Transmission over
The ratios of the existing MQ200 (M means manual, Q stands for transverse and 200 refers to the torque specific output limit) five-speeder have grown. Gears three through five are between 12 and 24 percent longer than the TDI. Finally, bespoke 14-inch alloy wheels and low-resistance tyres complete the drivetrain package, and give rise to aerodynamic styling devices.
|
Volkswagen claims that all components were based on exacting calculations and wind tunnel tests. Unfathomable figures of "Cw = 0.3 Cw x A = 0.62" were obtained off their press site, pardon my ignorance.
Translated to the car, they spell for a front-end spoiler, new radiator grille surround that covers all save for a horizontal breather gap, and a rear roof-edge spoiler to finish it off with a drag factor of 0.30 Cd - that's the same value which the NSX and the insane Koenigsegg CCX carry.
Driving Impressions
We navigated our way around weekend-Selangor, with emphasis on Kuala Lumpur as an urban route, utilising the North-South Highway as the preferred travel medium to and from Singapore.
On short inter-city trips between Malaysian towns, our BlueMotion test car used about 3 litres of diesel over a distance of 70 km. This escalated to 4.2 litres for 100 km travelled (l/100 km) for moderately smooth city driving with a start-stop interval of at least two to three minutes between the lights.
At times, the car fared better in terms of actual consumption, but predictably worsened when stranded in traffic during the peak hour, averaging 5.3 l/100 km through the infamous Jalan Ampang-Bukit Bintang-KL City Centre jam. In these conditions, first gear was pleasantly tall - enough for us to amble along without having to switch between first and second. That left our focus to squeezing the throttle.
And what fun we had, squeezing and squirting the BlueMotion's 195 Nm of peak torque, which is available from 1,800 to 2,200 rpm. Surprisingly lively around town, it had a nice growl and throb to boot. This alone led us to become ill-disciplined, with each cog-swap happening around 2,500 rpm.
But the real difference was along faster-moving roads, especially with the top three gears. Fifth is the longest we've ever seen in a small car - 120 km/h lugs only 2,000 rpm - a real benefit when travelling interstate. At such speeds on a straight and level stretch of road, the Polo parsimoniously consumed a little less than 3 l/100 km, and sounded as if it were ticking a little over idle.
But the Polo doesn't cease to entertain when driven enthusiastically either. Those taller ratios meant holding on to third and fourth along twisty B-roads, raising consumption to around 6.5-7 l/100 km. But given that the car doesn't have much power, the 10 mm lowered suspension and 165/70 R14 Michelins proved to be quite entertaining when it came to turning the car around low speed corners.
|
Another good side-effect of the overall aerodynamics and tyre package is that the BlueMotion coasts a long way down the highway without loosing its momentum.
A little petrol versus diesel
On average, a 45-litre tank of diesel costs S$65, while one hundred kilometres in the Polo works out to around S$5.43, assuming the price of diesel to be S$1.429 per litre.
In real world situations, our calculated fuel averages meant it was possible to do at least 1,100 km in the Polo with a moderately heavy foot. That means if you travel an average of 100 km a day, you're going to end up spending approximately S$180 worth of diesel every month.
Compare this to real world, average consumption figures of a 1.3-litre Honda Jazz (6.5-7 l/100 km), and you'll arrive at S$10 for every 100 km travelled (assume S$1.53 per litre of petrol). Over the equivalent distance of 1,100 km, you would have spent S$330.
And when put against its European rivals, and you'll discover that the savings are even more substantial, even after the Polo's road tax penalty of S$2,500 per year.
How about the Hybrids?
Inevitably, comparisons are going to be made when it comes to the similarly priced hybrids, with the cheapest going for around S$80,000, almost S$4000 more than the Polo.
In exercise, the Civic Hybrid and Toyota Prius are seamless in operation, where it's virtually impossible to discern where and how power is being delivered, be it from the battery or their engines. There's a host of regenerative braking technologies, and an EV button on the Toyota that allows one to run the car on electric power alone for up to 1.5 kilometres.
But when last tested, the 1,325 kg Prius managed only 5.8 l/100 km in real world conditions. Consider this - our trusty little diesel came very close to its quoted average consumption figures of 3.8 l/100 km over a distance of nearly 890 km. And we weren't being light-footed, mind you. And in today's plethora of "mp4 generation" cars and people, the relatively simple, gadget and fuss-free Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion means a lot.
|
Car Information
Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion 1.4 (M)
CAT A|Petrol|18.8km/L
Horsepower
60kW (80 bhp)
Torque
192 Nm
Acceleration
12.8sec (0-100km /hr)
This model is no longer being sold by local distributor
All Used Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion
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