Posted on Monday 2 June 2008
Click here for all the official information and pictures for the 2009 Volkswagen Golf Mark VI
Expect to see smaller engines for Volkswagen’s brand new Golf MK 6 when it’s unveiled to the public at the Paris Motor Show in October. High fuel prices are pushing buyers towards engines with less cylinders and lower displacements and VW is keen to pick up on the trend.
The company recently released a 1.4L TSI ‘TwinCharger’ engine that features both a turbocharger and supercharger, but the new model may get a 1.2L or even a 1.0L mill developing 75hp. According to Wolfgang Steiger, VW’s manager for powertrain research, the company may even opt to build these engines with just three cylinders.
Buyers will have to wait until next year for them to be available, he told Automotive News.
Volkswagen will be one of the hardest hit when tough new fuel economy and C02 regulations are passed in the EU. The company has been working to reduce the pollution generated across its fleet by introducing special ‘Bluemotion’ models, which use aerodynamic optimization, better electronic engine management, and low resistance tires to achieve lower mileage rates.
Hybrids are also on the cards for VW, though no solid plans have been made yet. The carmaker is rumored to be preparing a diesel-hybrid Golf that will achieve economy rates of 69MPG.
Despite the push towards more fuel efficient cars in the U.S. it’s still unlikely we’ll see a three-cylinder Rabbit Stateside, as the 75hp engines are better suited purely towards city driving rather than long highway journeys.
This may mark a turning point in the fortunes of companies that rely on just a few very good large displacement engines. The best example is Nissan, which bases most of their best vehicles around relatively large displacement V6 engines (especially their 3.5 litre V6). Companies like VW have many more good engines in their line-up to choose from, but Nissan may be caught on the back foot. (Hopefully, their tie-up with Renault may provide them with some nice small 4 cylinder units.) It will be interesting to see if Skoda, Seat, Audi, (Porsche), Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti all follow VW’s lead and downsize accordingly! Perhaps not…
I am not convinced 1.0 L 75hp is powerful enough to move Mark 6 without the need to push it into high revs (and that is fuel consuming).
My friend used to have 1.0 L in VW Polo and it burned 9 liters of regular per 100 km. It was simply not powerful enough.