VW shows off new hybrid coupe concept

[wpsedgwick]

Source: Green Technology Daily

Volkswagen on Monday rolled out a hybrid concept car called the New Compact Coupe, a machine the company said will get 45 miles per gallon by combining a four-cylinder gasoline engine from the company's TSI with a 1.1 kWh lithium-ion battery.

When the car's gasoline engine isn't needed, it shuts off and is disengaged from the transmission to cut down on drag, including at highway speeds.

With a sharper, more sculpted front fascia than its Golf and Jetta siblings, a deep swage line running the length of the sides and a rather anonymous (exhaust-less) rump, the Compact Coupe comes across as the poor man's Audi A5. And the interior is something to behold.


Read more: http://www.greentechnologydaily.com/auto/589-vw-shows-off-hybrid-coupe-concept

[onehandle]

1. Nice. I want. nt

[HillbillyBob]

6. The car I learned to drive in was a '74 VW 412

w/ 2.0 or 2.2 ( I forget that was a long time ago).
It had seating for 4 adults or 2 adults and 3 kids. It got great gas mileage 35 I think. It had the same 4 spd and engine as a 914 and went like a bat out of hell and was ooogly (nice body work and color it was just ugly in style for the time). It was not my car it was my dads. I would love to have that car now.
It did not have ac though it had a wind open sunroof.
It was comfortable and had a gas furnace that worked if the air cooler heater was not warmed enough though it usually was. What was nice tho was for about 4 oz or less of gas you could go out and turn the knob for a 15 min heat cycle that would melt the snow off the windows and warm the engine.

I think I would like one of these too, does it come in wagon?
I wonder if VW group will ever experiment with CVT Constant Variable Transmissions?

Our Nissan Versa has it, the rpms do not move much and it has good pull with a 1.8 ltr 4cyl (would like to see a Versa or Altima hybrid). It gets 36 road/ 33-34 in town, has good ac decent sound/disc. It has a decent ride and goes faster than you realize and has very good brakes.
I know VWs for longevity, but the more recent ones have gotten too expensive to buy for us.
I put in a K&N filter (clean and recharge every 20,000 , less if you drive heavy city traffic or dusty roads) it raised the mileage by 3 mpg and it is a 'green' since you are not throwing out paper filters every 10,000 miles.

[Gman2]

2. Now they need to make a butt-ugly one, that they will let us afford.

[Auggie]

3. VW's been slow to offer a hybrid

I hope they took the time to do it right.

[merwin]

10. VW has been a leader in hybrid technology

It's just been mostly behind the scenes until now.

http://in.reuters.com/article/basicIndustries/idINT16558720080512
VW, Sanyo to develop lithium-ion battery-paper

http://www.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20081103-97952.html
VW to make own hybrid parts

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2008/06/26/afx5156904.html
VW starts testing electric cars, sees launching them by 2010

http://gas2.org/2009/09/14/volkswagens-diesel-hybrid-1l-concept-gets-170-mpg-available-by-2013/
Volkswagen’s Diesel-Hybrid L1 Concept Gets 170 MPG, Available by 2013

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2008/03/revealed-volksw/
Volkswagen’s 69.9-MPG Diesel Hybrid

[Tumbulu]

4. My 2007 Honda Civic hybrid which seats 5 gets 50 mpg

and was affordable. And it looks nice and is a joy to drive.

I hope they can catch up to the Japanese in this area of technology.

[onehandle]

7. I drove a gas 1988 Honda CRX for fifteen years that got 45-50 mpg.

I loved that little red car.

It wouldn't die. Eventually I just had to give it up.

[bc3000]

5. 45mpg? That's almost as good as my 1978 diesel Rabbit was at 50mpg

negative 5 mpg in only 30 years.

Glad to see we're making such progress!

[blackbear79]

8. I had a 79 Dasher diesel that got over 40mpg.

Put over 300k on it. Great car. That generation of Diesel was deemed dirty in those great cars went away. Subaru has diesel hybrid coming that is rumored to get 60+ mpg.

[david_vincent]

9. I second that

You pretty much echoed my thoughts. My dad's 1959 Riley got 36 mpg. So we're supposed to cheer because in 50 years they've managed to produce a wildly complicated system that gets 45? I think that's pretty pathetic, actually. My Yaris gets 41 without the batteries that will eventually need to be replaced anyway.
People: if you're truly interested in being green AND getting great mileage, fix up a small old car and use it. Those of you with an interest in variable transmissions can get a DAF, since they had it first.

[madrchsod]

11. my 87 crx averaged around 40-45 and ...

a 93 geo metro that averaged around 35-40...

[defendandprotect]

12. Cars were getting 42 MPG in the 1970's!! Gas now over $2.50 gal here in NJ ....

[flvegan]

13. ...roughly 25% less mpg than their BlueMotion Golf/Polo across the pond.

Going on 3 years on sale in the UK.

Yay.