2012 Volkswagen ‘Think Blue’ Fuel Economy Challenge
VOLKSWAGEN THINK BLUE CHALLENGE
What’s Hot: Seemingly defying physics by obeying... er, physics.
What’s Not: Driving in Canberra’s winter with the heater off
X-Factor: The most intense driving experience possible at legal speeds
Vehicle type: Volkswagen models with BlueMotion Technology
Variants Reviewed | ||
Model | Power/Torque | Fuel Use |
Golf 103 TDI Comfortline with BlueMotion | 103kW/320Nm | 5.3l/100km |
CC 125 TDI | 125kW/350Nm | 5.7l/100km |
Tiguan 103 TDI six-speed manual | 103kW/320Nm | 6.0l/100km |
Touareg V6 TDI | 180kW/550Nm | 7.4l/100km |
OVERVIEW
Volkswagen is pretty proud of its BlueMotion technology, that being the collective term the German giant applies to the suite of features aimed at reducing fuel consumption.
Its focus is on reduced friction and weight, greater use of a vehicle’s kinetic energy, and improved aerodynamics.
The technology has now filtered through much of Volkswagen’s local line-up. This was the point Volkswagen Australia was keen to assert with its recent Think Blue Challenge event.
Pitting the invited media against each other in a selection of BlueMotion-equipped models, the challenge was to return the best trip-computer l/100km figure over two prescribed road loops.
Sounds like a drive in the park doesn’t it?
But as those in the know will tell you, when it comes to fuel economy there’s far more to extracting the best fuel consumption from a car than simply moderating the weight of your right foot.
The Challenge
The fleet of BlueMotion-equipped models on hand for the challenge included the Golf and Tiguan 103TDI, the recently refreshed CC 125 TDI, and the family-favourite Touareg V6 TDI.
While all were turbodiesels, transmission choices varied from the H-pattern manual of the Tiguan, to the DSG automatics of the CC and Golf, and the eight-speed torque converter automatic in the Touareg.
Weights ranged between 1346kg for the Golf, to the 2159kg Touareg.
Results Table (l/100km) ADR Combined Ordynski TMR Golf 103 TDI 5.3 4.0 4.3 VW Touareg V6 TDI 7.4 7.1 7.5 VW CC 125 TDI 5.7 4.8 4.9 VW Tiguan 103 TDI 6spd Man 6.0 5.0 5.5
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