Volkswagen show Golf TDI hybrid concept at Geneva

04 March 2008

Volkswagen has chosen the Geneva motor show to unveil a Golf based hybrid concept car. The TDI hybrid concept combines a 1.2 litre diesel engine producing 74 bhp with VW’s latest 7 speed DSG gearbox and an electric motor to produce a parallel hybrid system.

VW’s new 7 speed DSG is an evolution of their highly acclaimed 6 speed DSG gearbox that has been in production since 2003. The gearbox has been designed for lower powered engines producing less than 184 lbs ft of torque which allows a dry clutch arrangement to be used rather than the wet clutches in the original unit. This has allowed the engineers to reduce the size of the gearbox, its weight and the frictional forces which makes it more efficient than the wet clutch arrangement. The added ratio further enhances efficiency making the gearbox more efficient than a 6 speed manual.

VW claim that the concept is capable of achieving 83 mpg on the combined cycle which equates to just 89 g/km of CO2. The excellent fuel consumption is aided by the hybrid system which allows the golf to be driven in electric mode at urban speeds.

At the moment the Golf Hybrid is a concept model but it achieves very similar fuel consumption figures to Peugeot/Citroen’s 308/C4 hybrid concepts which are believed to be largely production ready being tipped to enter production around 2010.

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