Official: New VW Polo Bluemotion offers 85.5mpg, less co2 and cheaper than new Prius!

Volkswagen have finally confirmed they will reveal 3 new Bluemotion cars at Frankfurt next week (source Telegraph/WhatCar).

Its Official: The most frugal of the three will be the New VW Polo Bluemotion which will offer 85.5 MPG and be the Greenest 4 Seater Car in Europe.

The new VW Polo Bluemotion will cost just £13k in the UK which is over £5k less than an entry price Prius. It will also be greener than the Prius emitting 2 g/km less than the Toyota!

I was seriously considering getting my new 3rd Gen Prius next year but now i'm not sure if I can justify paying more for a Hybrid that isn't as green as the VW Diesel!

That's quite disingenuous.

Carbon emissions may be lower, but SMOG emissions are not.

Being green means a reduction of both.
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As a reminder to US-centric readers, what is the GenIII Prius rating on that same scale? That VW number is most certainly not the US EPA scale.
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Nevermind, I found an answer: 72.4 mpg for Prius.

From a 'greenie' perspective I can see where you're coming from but consider a couple of points:

1. It's also a class size down from the Prius which doesn't make it a supermini bargain.

2. I'm pretty sure it won't include features such as an automatic gearbox, air conditioning and an engine that actually moves the car faster than walking pace. I've been in one of the old BlueMotion Polos and have to report they were very noisy and slow.

And on that note, hello to everyone from both myself and culltec who are united in being UK newbies. :wave:

nothing is stopping Toyota from putting an HSD drivetrain in a Yaris or similar smaller vehicle.

1.2 liter 3-cylinder 74 hp engine with a 5-speed manual transmission won't appeal to the majority of the consumers here anyway.
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Sorry didn't mean to upset anyone with my first post!

With regards to the supermini comment, I wouldn't call this brand new VW Polo Bluemotion a Supermini. Its got 5 doors and can comfortably carry 4 passengers with luggage. And at 85.5mpg it can save a heap load of cash!

I still love the Prius and think hopefully may one next year, but you've got to admit its gonnabe difficult for me to explain my reasons for owning the much more expensive Toyota. A car thats more expensive to buy, run and is less green than the All New VW Polo when it arrives next Spring.

A few comments come to mind

• 1. Match the fuel economy to your driving patterns. City ? Mostly highway ?
• 2. As John mentions, remember other pollutants, given that CO2 is similar.
• 3. I'll bet the Prius is pretty upscale compared to the polo. Decide if the differences are worth the cost.
• Prius reliability is outstanding. How is the Polo ?

he has a great point with #4. We have a VW Beetle (wife's car) and I it is literally the least reliable vehicle with the most expensive maintenance I have ever been associated with. I have driven $500 beaters that required less care and maintenance to keep going. VW would have to do something amazing for me to ever even consider buying another product of theirs. That being said since I have replaced and fixed several thousands of dollars worth of parts over the past 2 to 3 years on that Beetle. (my quick estimate is about $7000) My hard work and bloody knuckles have paid off because that POS is driving as good as it did when it was new for the past 8 months or so.

Some US caveats:

The Polo is not currently imported to the US, VW is considering offering it in 2011, but that is not firm. It is distinctly smaller than the Golf/Rabbit, similar in size to the Fit or Yaris.

The 85.5 is a European Mileage test, the EPA never gets 1/2 MPGs, the 2008 Prius got 67 MPG on the same test, I did not find newer European Prius numbers.

The Prius is still King of the road. Years ahead of the others. An engineering marvel.

Considering Diesel fuel is about 15% more energy dense and the available power, it is not impressive. If you are willing to be part of the transmission (shifting), ok with the compromises in safety, refinement and luxury features, sure you can save money.

Also consider the ownership satisfication of both cars.

But in the UK an Automatic car is Not as popular an option as a manual (than in the US), with well over 90% of Britains driving a manual. I'm not saying its better but we Brits feel like "proper" driving is done via the manual gear changes plus our country is way smaller with more cramped roads than in America. A manual is more suited in the UK.

I don't feel the reliability argument holds up either. Volkswagen's entire fleet come with 3 year Warranty as standard (same as Prius body) and morpheusx - its not fair to compare your wife's Beatle to your Prius. Thats like comparing my friends 9 year old Yaris just because its made by Toyota!

Tests also confirmed a 0-62 in 13 seconds which is just a few more than the Prius with a top speed of 115 MPH. And yes, the New Polo is a smaller car than the Prius, but in Britain its NOT a supermini. We consider a supermini something like a Smart Car or Toyota iQ. It also makes me smile that members are quick to discredit this car as a mini car yet are falling over themselves over the new SMALL Nissan Leaf

I've got nothing against the Prius, I actually believe its the most innovative car ever made. But the point of my post was to show an alternative car that is:

• Cheaper (by £5500/$9000)
• Offers better MPG (at least 10+)
• Greenest 4 Seater car in Europe

The New 2010 Polo VW Bluemotion will definitely be a realistic choice for us Britains when it goes on sale next year. Also lets not forget the fuel prices in the UK are way more higher than in the US which is one of the biggest reasons behind peoples car purchases.

I'm a little disappointed with my experience of PriusChat.com so far. I understand that this is a Forum for Prius Fans however I thought you guys would have been accepting of all greener cars that offer great MPG. I also posted this in the "OTHER CAR" section of the forum, which begs the question why have an other car section if members won't have a nice word to say about them

Okay, the Polo Bluemotion has only 87 vs. 89 g/km CO2 emission, but its luggage-space is only 270 vs. that of the Prius 2010 441 liter, about 40% less.

Looks more lie a Matrix than a Prius, eh.

0-100 km in 13 seconds will make it faster than the Smart, but slower than any other car sold in the US.

My post merely clarified that it is not sold here, is not in the same size class as a Prius, and that your mileage claim was not based on a standard we are used to.

If you find numbers like this for the Polo, I am all ears.
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...sight-civic-hybrid-jetta-gas-tdi-wrx-sti.html

Have you also tried CleanMPG.com? It is much more accepting of green non-Prius choices.

The original post kind of a set up for your disappointment. You are comparing cars in completely different classes. I think the Polo Bluemotion is a great way to save fuel and do it at a low cost. Its certainly not for everyone. To say the Prius is not as green as the VW is crazy due to the particulate emissions of the Polo.

It is absolutely fair, For Example a replacement water pump aftermarket part costs approximately $60 USD, why VW decided to shave at most $2 from the cost of the OEM part and use a plastic impeller on it is beyond me. I had to replace mine, and I have a friend with a Jetta (2.0) had the same thing go wrong with hers and guess what her mom's Beetle (1.8T) had the same problem. Thankfully none of these led to a blown head gasket (we live in Ohio so its not as hot) This isn't coincidental or bad luck this is the VW policy of if the part can get them through the warranty who really cares about them afterwards. You want more examples, Look up VW failed ignition coils, Mass Air Flow Meters, Secondary Air Injection Systems, Timing Belt Tensioners Maybe VW gives you better quality in Europe, but here in the states you are lucky to get any trouble free miles out of them far much past the warranty. They are a great car when they work though.