Geneva Preview: VW Golf TDI Hybrid

As embargoes go the way of the dodo, so pictures of concept cars come fresh to our doorstep. The latest casualty: the VW Golf TDI Hybrid. Due for its Geneva debut later this week, the Golf TDI Hybrid puts the Toyota Prius on notice in nearly every respect. A new player is in town.

While the hybrid diesel nature of the new Golf is the highlight of its feature list, it also sports a seven-speed DSG gearbox for seamless up-shifts and better-than-manual performance. Automatic stop-start technology saves fuel when it's most wasteful to burn it, and the ability to switch between electric-only, hybrid and diesel-only mode is unique, if a bit odd.

Efficiency is a rather excellent 3.4L/100km (69mpg US) in hybrid mode, and performance is still quite peppy with the 75hp diesel and electric motors likely combining to provide more torque than your typical petrol hatch with 100hp more on tap might.

It's still unknown which markets will see the Golf TDI Hybrid, although there are rumors that America might be on the list. Pricing is similarly undisclosed, but we can expect more information when it goes official in Geneva.