28 November 2011

Volkswagen’s slogan for the Golf BlueMotion is “You don’t have to be enviro-mental when you can be enviro-normal”. It’s a subtle dig at all the eco-friendly cars out there that seem to equate ugly with environmentally friendly. The BlueMotion proves not only that a good-looking car can be just as fuel-efficient as a hybrid, but that you don’t need a bunch of fancy batteries to achieve a fuel economy that rivals the Prius.

Amazingly, the BlueMotion boasts a range of around 1400 km! I didn’t have the car long enough to test out how long the tank really does last, but for the 150 km I did drive, the needle on the fuel gauge barely moved off full – fleetingly impressive.

Want more goss? The Golf BlueMotion was recently awarded the overall ‘Green Car of the Year’ by What Car? Green Awards 2010.

Style & drive
The five-seater BlueMotion looks just like a regular Golf, and drives pretty much like one too. Volkswagen has refined six key existing technologies to achieve the BlueMotion’s fuel economy of 3.8 L / 100 km. It employs a start/stop system – which kicks in when you stop, for example, at a red light, put your car in neutral and release the clutch. Don’t panic though, by the time you depress the clutch and put the car in first gear, the motor has already restarted and you’re off without a hitch. Too easy.

Other fuel savers include optimised aerodynamics, a brake energy recuperation system, tyres with optimised rolling resistance, a multifunction computer that provides visual gear change recommendation, and optimised gear ratios.

There are a few downsides to the BlueMotion that might turn away some drivers – it only comes in manual and its RCD310 multimedia system has no support for Bluetooth phone connectivity or audio streaming, which means no iPhone/iPod/USB support. It does however have an auxiliary jack so you can connect your iPhone the old-school way.

Due to the optimised gear ratios – the gears have been lengthened  for maximum fuel economy – the car is a little sluggish and can lose power quickly on hills. Once you adjust to the longer gears, it drives just like a regular Golf.

The BlueMotion is standard Volkswagen when it comes to design – the unique blue-on-black upholstery is a nice touch, and the soft-touch plastic dashboard is very user friendly. The boot is big enough to fit a large pram, which is a huge bonus for mums. One cool accessory? The divider between the two front seat cup holders slides out to become a bottle opener. Cheers.

Safety
The Golf BlueMotion scored a 5-star ANCAP rating. ABS, EBD, hill start assist, brake assist, stability control and traction control are standard on the Golf BlueMotion. Front, front-side, full-length curtain, and driver's knee airbags are all standard on every Golf.

Eco
Fuel consumption 3.8 L / 100 km.
CO2 emission 99 g / km.

Describe the car in 3 words:
Sporty, eco, cool.

What are the best things about this car?
It looks great, and it’s environmentally-friendly too. Fill ‘er up and she lasts forever!

What are the downsides of this car?
It’s manual only. To reduce weight, the BlueMotion comes with a tyre repair kit instead of a spare wheel.

What kind of petrol does it use?
Diesel.

Liked it?
Loved it. A ridiculously fuel-efficient car that looks good too.

If personified, who would this car be?
Leonardo DiCaprio.

Soundtrack of choice for this car?
Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto.