Volkswagen: Natural gas Polo in continuous operation
LONG-TERM TEST The sixth generation of the VW Polo is available for the first time with natural gas drive. Over the next few months, AutoSprintCH will be testing the TGI in everyday use More than 14 million VW Polo cars have rolled off the production line since 1975, and the new, sixth generation has everything it takes to become a bestseller. Especially in the assistance systems and [...]
More than 14 million VW Polo cars have rolled off the production line since 1975, and the new sixth generation has everything it takes to become a bestseller. Particularly in terms of assistance systems and connectivity, the Polo is one of the big players. Speaking of size, it has grown a little again and now offers as much interior space as a Golf III. The trunk capacity starts at 251 liters and extends to a maximum of 1025 liters. However, natural gas customers are limited in their choice of equipment. The TGI is only available in Comfortline trim - and without an Active Info Display or sports suspension.
The natural gas engine is a new development
The first natural gas engine used in the VW Polo is a new development. The three-cylinder engine develops 90 hp from a displacement of 999 cm3 between 4500 and 5800 rpm. The efficient 1.0 TGI delivers its maximum torque of 160 Nm from just 1900 rpm. Our model is equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission. This allows the TGI to accelerate to 100 km/h in 11.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 183 km/h.
Natural gas tanks are located in the trunk
The bivalent system includes two natural gas steel tanks (11.6 kg or 75 liters of natural gas), which are installed in the trunk floor to save space. When these are empty, the drive automatically switches to gasoline mode, which is supplied by a 40-liter tank. According to Volkswagen, the total range is around 1190 kilometers, of which around 365 are accounted for by the natural gas drive. Consumption is 3 to 3.2 kg of natural gas per 100 kilometers.
With CO2 emissions of just 84 to 87 g/km, the Polo TGI made it to first place among small cars in the 2018 AutoEnvironment List from the VCS. You will read whether we achieve all these values in one of the next issues.
How our test turned out read here...
