Volkswagen has taken the Golf TDI BlueMotion for a 1,602-km (995-mile) trip from Nantes, France, to Copenhagen (Denmark) to demonstrate the fuel economy of the most frugal Golf model. The test run called “Think Blue. Eco Ride.” was supervised by vehicle inspection company DEKRA and consisted of a trip from Nantes to Copenhagen without refueling.
The Golf TDI BlueMotion managed to cover the entire distance on a single tank of fuel, posting an average fuel consumption of 2.92 l/100 km (80.5 mpg US).
This figure was reached in normal traffic over a driving time of 20 hours and 45 minutes. The standard 50-liter fuel tank was filled in Nantes, where it was sealed by a DEKRA inspector. At the end of the trip, 46.92 liters of diesel were filled into the same tank under the supervision of the same inspector.
The route chosen by VW led from Nantes, the “European Green Capital 2013”, via Paris, Antwerp, Bremen and Hamburg to Copenhagen, the “European Green Capital 2014”.
The fuel economy result is below the Golf TDI BlueMotion’s standard consumption figure based on the NEDC driving cycle of 3.2 l/100 km (73.5 mpg US). Powered by a 1.6-liter turbodiesel engine developing 110PS (108hp) and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque from as low as 1,500 rpm.
Aside from the frugal diesel engine, the Golf TDI BlueMotion also features a standard start-stop system and regenerative braking mode. In addition, fuel economy is boosted by the car’s improved aerodynamics, lower weight, modified six-speed manual gearbox and low rolling resistance tires.
By Dan Mihalascu
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