Volkswagen introduces new technologies to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
Though Volkswagen called the event BlueDay, it was anything but. Europe’s biggest carmaker literally owns the town of Wolfsburg, but one thing it cannot control is the weather. Snowflakes started floating down from the heavens and soon a white carpet covered every surface. Still, BlueDay it was; a day for unveiling a bunch of new technologies and products to make Volkswagen vehicles more eco-friendly by reducing fuel consumption and noxious emissions. While some of them are already in production and others are very close to being introduced in the market, VW has decided to put them all under an umbrella brand to say that these are all concentrated, eco-friendly efforts.
Of course, there is no end to how much you can innovate in curbing fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, so all that comes under BlueMotion will be constantly evolving.
Okay, it may not be as exciting as driving a Golf GTI or even the new Scirocco, but we did get an opportunity to sample these technologies in VW’s production cars, and this is how it was.
Touareg V6 TSI Hybrid
WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?
Okay, first things first. VW’s first-ever hybrid powertrain will debut in the next generation Touareg next year. So this machine is just an evaluation prototype for the new hybrid technology. What’s special about it is that the powertrain comprises a new V6 TSI engine — a supercharged direct injection petrol engine — along with an electric motor. This parallel hybrid system uses a newly-developed, 8-speed automatic gearbox with a Torsen differential to send power to all the four wheels. The next-generation Touareg will be offered with this hybrid option, and will be lighter to accommodate the extra load. Oh, and it’s been co-developed with Porsche, so expect the Cayenne also to sport this system.
HOW IS IT TO DRIVE?
Now, the Touareg is like a battle-tank for civilians. Despite that, there is clearly no shortage of power. The electric motor produces about 50 bhp, while the V6 makes 330 bhp. Now, going around town, let’s say at less than 50 kph, the electric motor does the job. Forget looking at the display that tells you where the power is coming from, the tacho needle is asleep at these moments. Beyond 50, the needle jumps up, and that means the supercharged V6 is at work. The shift is pretty seamless and you barely notice it. Once in a while when you need to show who’s the boss, you have the boost mode. Nail the throttle, and the electric motor and the engine come together to provide you head-pinning acceleration. However, the 372 bhp and over 55 kgm of torque that you get in the boost mode is temporary, as you will slow down to perhaps save the environment.
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The technology has been made possible by a precisely engineered disengagement clutch that does the switchover. And of course, boost mode.
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Passat BlueMotion
WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?
This is VW’s second-generation BlueMotion tech. The idea is to be terribly fuel efficient. And in the process, the emissions are pretty low. VW claims that this is the most fuel efficient Passat ever, consuming only one litre of fuel while covering 20.4 kilometres. No, don’t compare it to your Swift diesel. This is the Passat, remember, a large, well-built German saloon. Now how did they do it? By incorporating stuff like longer gear ratios, low friction drive shafts, highly reduced rolling resistance tyres and lightweight steel wheels. They also reduced drag by making sections of the car a little more aerodynamic. But the difference this time is the incorporation of a start-stop system.
HOW IS IT TO DRIVE?
Well, it’s nothing that you would notice, actually. This Passat is powered by a 109 bhp 2.0-litre common-rail turbodiesel with a brilliant 25 kgm of torque available for as low as 1500 rpm. So the Passat is adequately powered and the motor doesn’t feel wanting. To help you stretch that litre of fuel, the multifunction display recommends a gearshift. What is critical is the start-stop system. Arrive at a signal, shift to neutral, and the engine cuts off. And when the signal turns green, depress the clutch, and hey presto, the engine starts again. Simple, isn’t it? Especially when you know that all of us in India do it most of the time without the aid of this technology.
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The start-stop, of course. The only issue is that if the engine temperature is low, your AC is working at full capacity or the battery charge is not sufficient, it will not work!
Passat BlueTDI
WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?
Euro V norms are due this September, while Euro VI will be in force by 2014. The BlueTDI Passat is ready for Euro VI. Now. It uses the same technology that is seen in Mercedes-Benz’s BlueTec. Essentially, a high-tech Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalytic converter plus an additive called AdBlue brings down those terrible NOx emissions in the exhaust gases. The SCR cat converter selectively converts the nitrogen oxide components into nitrogen and water, while the AdBlue solution, housed in a special auxiliary tank, helps it do just that. This makes the Passat BlueTDI one of the cleanest production diesels on earth, comparable to that of a high-tech petrol engine. And there is no compromise in performance either.
HOW IS IT TO DRIVE?
Terrific. The engine is the brilliant 141 bhp 2000 cc four-cylinder common-rail turbodiesel, and that allows the Passat a top speed of 210 kph. There is no performance issue you can think of, and at the same time you can traipse around the countryside with full awareness that what’s coming out of the exhaust is about as clean as it gets. The advantage of this system is that SCR and injection of AdBlue is getting to be standard practice in reducing NOx emissions in diesels (it’s the primary issue with diesel engine emissions vis-a-vis petrol engines), that means it will eventually become cheaper and more accessible to more people.
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It obviously is the SCR catalytic converter and AdBlue injection, but it is a little too high-tech for India, as it needs very clean diesel...
Passat TSI Ecofuel
WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?
Now, everybody knows that if you want performance from your car, the last thing you would do is give it a CNG conversion kit. But if you want ridiculously low running costs and great fuel efficiency, you wouldn’t hesitate to emasculate your fun-to-drive car with a CNG kit. So what if you got performance from CNG? VW has done just that with the TSI Ecofuel. The magic is in the 1.4-litre inline-four that is twincharged (supercharged plus turbocharged!), so it doesn’t matter what fuel the engine is sipping. The engine is paired with that fabulous and intuitive 7-speed DSG gearbox. This Passat has three natural gas lightweight steel tanks and one gasoline tank, all cleverly packaged so that it doesn’t intrude into your internal space or that of your luggage. The only thing you will notice is that the exhaust pipe doesn’t emerge from under the rear bumper.
HOW IS IT TO DRIVE?
Well, when you get 148 bhp on tap and over 22 kgm of peak torque from as low as 1500 rpm and going all the way to 4500 rpm, there’s not much to gripe about, right? Despite the weight of the additional tanks, the TSI motor manages to pull the Passat pretty well. VW, in fact, claims a 0 to 100 kph timing of only 9.7 seconds and a top speed of 210 kph. That’s decent, by mid-size save-the-planet saloon standards. The only hitch is that the engine feels a bit rough and noisy, and refinement is not its strong point. But that’s a small sacrifice to be clean, right?
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Changes in the engine to adopt the natural gas... heck, it works.
The writer was invited by Volkswagen to experience their new BlueMotion technologies in Germany