CTZonEdit
02-28-2008, 12:34 PM
It's official - Volkswagen (http://www.volkswagen.com/vwcms_publish/vwcms/international_portal/virtualmaster/en.html) is unveiling a hybrid to challenge the mighty Toyota Prius (http://www.toyota.com/prius-hybrid/). And not just any hybrid, but a diesel-electric hybrid it says will deliver 69.9 mpg.
VW's been experimenting with hybrids of the gasoline-electric variety since the early 1990s, but the Golf hybrid it will unveil next month at the Geneva Motor Show (http://www.salon-auto.ch/en/) is the first production model the German company's rolled out. Volkswagen isn't offering much in the way of details, but the car is expected to have a parallel hybrid drivetrain with a 2.0 liter engine. Look for it to have an all-electric mode at low speed, start-stop capability, regenerative braking and a 7-speed DSG double-clutch transmission, according to Auto Express (http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/217908/volkswagon_golf.html) and AutoBlog Green (http://www.autobloggreen.com/).
What's all the techno-jargon mean? The Golf Hybrid will get almost 70 mph while meeting Europe's stringent Euro V (http://www.dieselnet.com/standards/eu/ld.php) and America's Tier 2 Bin 5 (http://www.dieselnet.com/standards/us/ld_t2.php) emissions standards, making it green enough even for California. The car is said to emit just 89 g/km of CO2. (For comparison (http://www.carbon-info.org/carbonnews_050.htm), the Prius emits 104 g/km and Honda Civic Hybrid (http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-hybrid/) emits 116.)
Take that Toyota! :catfight:
VW's been experimenting with hybrids of the gasoline-electric variety since the early 1990s, but the Golf hybrid it will unveil next month at the Geneva Motor Show (http://www.salon-auto.ch/en/) is the first production model the German company's rolled out. Volkswagen isn't offering much in the way of details, but the car is expected to have a parallel hybrid drivetrain with a 2.0 liter engine. Look for it to have an all-electric mode at low speed, start-stop capability, regenerative braking and a 7-speed DSG double-clutch transmission, according to Auto Express (http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/217908/volkswagon_golf.html) and AutoBlog Green (http://www.autobloggreen.com/).
What's all the techno-jargon mean? The Golf Hybrid will get almost 70 mph while meeting Europe's stringent Euro V (http://www.dieselnet.com/standards/eu/ld.php) and America's Tier 2 Bin 5 (http://www.dieselnet.com/standards/us/ld_t2.php) emissions standards, making it green enough even for California. The car is said to emit just 89 g/km of CO2. (For comparison (http://www.carbon-info.org/carbonnews_050.htm), the Prius emits 104 g/km and Honda Civic Hybrid (http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-hybrid/) emits 116.)
Take that Toyota! :catfight: