| How to Save Money by Greener Driving |
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| Green Car
Guide |
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The Top 10 Green Cars
| Superminis |
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Diesel
4. Volkswagen Polo
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Model/Engine size:
BlueMotion 1.4 TDi |
| Fuel: Diesel |
| Fuel economy combined: 74.3 mpg |
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Summary
The Polo BlueMotion is Volkswagen’s answer to providing a car with very low CO2 emissions without resorting to hybrid technology. VW will have you believe that diesel can achieve everything that a petrol electric hybrid can, although the truth is that they both have their strengths and weaknesses.
VW has done a great job to get the Polo down to 99 g/km for the stripped out BlueMotion 1 and 102 g/km for the BlueMotion 2, which has a slightly high standard specification including air conditioning. In order to do this VW has worked hard to remove unnecessary weight, tweaked the aerodynamics and lengthened 3rd, 4th and 5th gear ratios. By getting under the magic 100 g/km it costs nothing to tax!
The differences are easy to tell on the move. In the bid to reduce weight it would appear that sound deadening was high on the list. The 3 cylinder diesel is clearly audible at idle and still makes its presence felt at higher speeds. Dull steering and relatively low grip levels coupled to an uninspiring chassis mean that the Polo will win few friends on a flowing B road.
The BlueMotion may not be the quietest or the sharpest handling supermini on the market but it does have some strengths. Firstly the VW badge means that residuals should be strong and the excellent economy coupled with a 45 litre fuel tank promises a huge range. Best of all the Polo comes as standard with a diesel particulate filter for which VW deserves credit.
The Polo BlueMotion won’t appeal to everybody but it has a place in the market. It proves that very low CO2 emissions are achievable when manufacturers put their minds to it. Despite its shortcomings the combination of very low CO2 emissions and a diesel particulate filter mean that it gets our vote as a no frills run around, and it will achieve particularly good fuel economy on a motorway run. |
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| Fuel economy extra urban: 88.3mpg |
| Fuel economy urban: 57.6mpg |
| CO2 emissions: 99 g/km |
| Green rating: VED band A - £0 |
| Weight: 1084 Kg |
| Company car tax liability (2007): 18% |
| Price: £12,120 (From £7,690 to £15,765) |
| Insurance group: 5 |
| Safety: NCAP 4 star |
| Max speed: 109 mph |
| 0-60mph: 12.8 seconds |
| DPF: Yes |
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