At the 2009 LA Auto Show, Volkswagen has plans to unveil its’ new concept car, the VW UP! Lite, a combination of Volkswagen’s TDI Clean Diesel engine, an advanced electric motor, and a seven-speed Direct Shift Gearbox. 

The Up! Lite, which is said to get up to 70 mpg on the highway, and has room for four adults, will be on display through December 13, 2009, in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The Volkswagen Up! Lite has an all-new hybrid power train, which consists of an 0.8-liter, two-cylinder TDI Clean Diesel engine, and an electric motor that acts as the vehicle’s starter, alternator, and E-drive unit.

According to the press release, the 0.8L engine produces 51 horsepower and up to 88 lbs.-ft. of torque. The electric motor, with its 13 additional horsepower, can be used to boost the TDI engine when needed, provide valuable regenerative braking, and even propel the Up! Lite on its own. The seven-speed DSG transmission ensures the driver has access to the full power range whenever needed, and allows for a 0 to 60 mph run of 12 seconds, a top speed of 100 mph, and the exceptional fuel economy rating of 70 mpg.

Side cameras stand in place of traditional outside mirrors and 18-inch carbon fiber and aluminum wheels give it a sports car-like look.  In the cabin, there’s a touch screen and hand motion sensors for climate controls, Internet connection, telephone, multimedia playback, and more. Also on tap are three cameras that replace the rearview mirror, while a folding rear seat means extra storage space.

The more I see and hear about the UP!, the more I think I really like it, and while it’s a concept car, I hope it becomes available in the near future.  It looks like a sharp little car that’s built for fun – and functionality!

What do readers think?

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Filed Under: Auto Shows, Fuel Efficient, Volkswagen

Memorial Day is upon us and the summer travel season is about to get into full swing. Thule, a transportation accessories manufacturer, has named their choices for the 2009 Road Trip Vehicles of the Year. The winner in the under $30,000 category is a familiar vehicle to readers of The Green Motorist, the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen TDI.

“Volkswagen did a great job with the Jetta SportWagen TDI. It is a reasonably priced vehicle with lots of great standard options. With a gas mileage rating of 30 mpg city and 41 mpg highway the Jetta SportWagen TDI can go 600+ miles without refueling,” remarked Tripp Wyckoff, Thule’s VP of Sales, Marketing and Service. Source: PR Newswire

I was able to get a good look at the SportWagen at a recent green building show and I was impressed with the vehicle. The backseat provided ample legroom, which is important when you have two kids that like to stretch out on road trips. I wasn’t able to take a test drive of the vehicle, but the Jetta SportWagen TDI and the Jetta TDI have been receiving rave reviews since their debut last fall.

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Filed Under: Volkswagen

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI has received numerous awards over the past few months – from the Green Car Journal’s 2009 Green Car of the Year to the “Best of the Year” by MotorWeek. The vehicle isn’t just a street car, though. It is used in the 2009 Jetta TDI Cup, a ten round race series co-sponsored by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA).

This year, the race circuit is going a bit greener with the use of B5 biodiesel.

“Performance testing has proven that diesel powered vehicles offer more low-end torque than traditional gasoline engines, providing quicker off-the-line acceleration that’s well suited for the race track. In addition, the Jetta TDI engine’s use of a “common rail” direct injection system improves fuel economy over gasoline engines and reduces sooty emissions by 95 percent, even under demanding race conditions. During the 2009 season, the Jetta TDI Cup cars will consume approximately two tanks of B5 biodiesel during race conditions and overall carbon emissions produced by the series will be reduced by 2,583 pounds as a result of the new fuel.” (Source: PR Newswire)

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Schedule

 

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Filed Under: Volkswagen

When I saw the headline about a Volkswagen and Toshiba partnership to create an electric vehicle, I thought back to my trusty Toshiba laptop. It was the first laptop I had ever owned and it lasted for several years. If Toshiba can do with cars what they do with laptops, then this partnership might turn out to be a successful venture for both parties.

“Volkswagen AG and Toshiba Corp signed a letter of intent to co-develop an electric-powered version of Volkswagen’s subcompact Up! concept car according to a Reuters report.

“The objective is a cooperation for the development of electric drive units and the accompanying power electronics for Volkswagen’s planned new small (car) family,” Volkswagen reportedly said in a statement.” (Source: Environmental News Network)

So, I went to the Volkswagen website to see what the Up! looked like and had flashbacks of the Gremlin that my cousin drove in the 80s. Although the VW/Toshiba partnership is creative, the state of the world economy may put this project on the backburner before it can even get off the ground.

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Filed Under: Volkswagen, electric vehicles

Although many auto manufacturers either withdrew their attendance from the 2009 North American International Auto Show or scaled back their presentations, the show has still been the site of some exciting green motoring news. Volkswagen, hot on the heels of the Jetta TDI’s success, revealed the Concept BlueSport – a 42 mph roadster.

“Volkswagen defined just two objectives in the car’s development: maximum driving fun and minimal fuel consumption. And so a midengine sports car was implemented that makes no compromises, that aims at low weight and maximum agility right from the start. Although it is best in its class when it comes to body rigidity, the Concept BlueSport weighs in at less than 1,200 athletic kilograms.” (Source: Volkswagen)

The engine is a 4-cylinder, 2.0 liter TDI with 132 kW of power at 4,200 RPM. The Volkswagen Concept BlueSport accelerates from zero to 60mph in 6.2 seconds with a top speed of 140 mph. Current fuel efficiency ratings are at 35 mpg in the city, 50 mpg on the highway and a combined 42 mpg.

This fuel efficiency is achievable, in part, using the Eco mode system. Eco mode is automatic start-stop system and braking energy regeneration” system. The fuel efficiency ratings listed above are while the vehicle is using the Eco mode system.

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Filed Under: Auto Shows, Volkswagen

The International Car of the Year Awards were presented tonight at the MGM Grand Detroit on the eve of the North American International Auto Show. The Volkswagen Jetta TDI can now add the Earth, Wind & Power Car of the Year Award to its list of accolades.

“The 2009 ceremony also debuted the Earth, Wind & Power (EWP) Awards(TM), honoring the most environmentally-friendly car and truck of the year. The mission of the EWP Awards is to recognize new-year model vehicles driven by a power source that help reduce global warming, are conducive to promoting a cleaner environment and support the mission to achieve energy independence through alternative sources.” (Source: PR Newswire)

The Ford Escape Hybrid was named the Earth, Wind & Power Truck of the Year and Honda Motor Company was awarded the EARTH ANGEL Award for being the most environmentally friendly automaker.

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Filed Under: Volkswagen

Kelley Blue Book’s website, kbb.com, is a fantastic tool for consumers that need to research a new or used vehicle. The KBB site launched a section dedicated to green motoring topics earlier this year and now the site has released its top 20 list of most researched new cars in 2008. When looking back at the insane gas prices that the nation faced this summer, it is not surprising to see that several fuel-efficient models made the list.

Honda Civic

The Honda Civic was the most researched new vehicle on KBB in 2008. The website garnered more than 140 million unique visitors in 2008 and the Honda Civic takes the top spot as the most researched out of those millions of visitors. The site did not differentiate between the various models but even the non-hybrid Civic is relatively fuel-efficient.

Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius was the seventh most researched new vehicle on KBB this year. In the first half of the year, the Prius was a highly sought after vehicle and several areas of the country and even fetched a premium. Unfortunately, the Prius did not end the year with a great sales record do to the rapid decline of gas prices.

Toyota Yaris

The fuel efficient Toyota Yaris made its first appearance in the top 20 this year with a 11th position rank. The Yaris also made it on the KBB list of 2009 models that are expected to have the best resale values.

Volkswagen Jetta

The Volkswagen Jetta squeaked on to the top 20 list coming in at number 20. The Jetta base model is not a picture of fuel efficiency but the Volkswagen Jetta TDI has been topping lists left and right and was ultimately named the 2009 Green Car of the Year by the Green Car Journal.

“The year’s roller-coaster fuel prices reflect many shifts in the 2008 list versus last year’s list in 2007, with smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles seeing more traffic than in years past.” (Source: PR Newswire)

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Filed Under: Volkswagen, honda, toyota

The accolades for the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI just keep rolling in. The vehicle was chosen as the 2009 Green Car of the Year by the Green Car Journal; this award was announced at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. The vehicle is also among the finalists for the Urban Wheel Awards Urban Car of the Year. The winner of that award will be announced in a ceremony on January 13, 2009.

The Jetta TDI has now been named one of three finalists for the 2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year in the car category. The Jetta will be up against the Ford Flex and the Hyundai Genesis. The Genesis is also a finalist in the Urban Wheel Awards competition.

Another more eco-friendly vehicle also made the list but in the truck category. The 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTEC is one of three trucks to make the finals.

“The awards are unique in the United States because — instead of being given by a single publication — they are given by 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada who represent magazines, television, radio, newspapers and web sites.” (Source: PR Newswire)

The winners will be announced on January 11, 2009 at the North American International Auto Show.

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Filed Under: Auto Shows, BlueTEC, Mercedes, Volkswagen, diesel

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI has already taken home the Green Car Journal’s 2009 Green Car of the Year Award. Now the vehicle is one of three finalists for the 2009 Urban Wheel Awards Urban Car of the Year. The other two finalists are the Dodge Challenger and the Hyundai Genesis. There is really nothing exciting and green to say about the Challenger but Hyundai has created a carbon-offset program for its Genesis called the Genesis Forest Project.

A panel of 23 journalists chose the vehicles; each panel member nominated three vehicles and the Challenger, Genesis and Jetta came out with the most votes.

“The Volkswagen Jetta TDI ushers in a new age of affordable diesel automobiles. At once more fuel-efficient and less polluting than comparable gasoline powered cars; VW’s Jetta is an answer to the questions everyone is asking these days,” says juror Camilo Alfaro of AutoProyecto. (Source: PR Newswire)

The Urban Wheel Awards honor multicultural diversity in the auto industry. The award ceremony will take place on January 13, 2009 at The Detroit opera House.

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Filed Under: Volkswagen

Another 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show premiere has been announced; Volkswagen will be revealing its Touareg TDI that will compete in the 41st Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. The vehicle utilizes Volkswagen’s clean diesel technology and will be competing as part of the Trophy Truck class.

“We’ve had success running our clean diesel TDI powered vehicles at the Dakar Rally, Baja 500, Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and also in our Jetta TDI Cup series,” said Clark Campbell, motorsport manager, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “This entry of a new, purpose-built Touareg TDI Trophy Truck is the next step in the evolution of our motorsport program and showcases our commitment to racing clean diesel vehicles and to SCORE International.” (Source: PR Newswire)

Volkswagen of America, Red Bull, BFGoodrich, Dow Automotive, Oakley, KMC Wheels and Fox Shocks have collaborated in sponsoring the vehicle. The Touareg will make its debut in a November 19 press conference at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

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Filed Under: Auto Shows, General, Volkswagen