Imagine Prius-smoking mileage figures for under 20 grand. That's the MO of Volkswagen's Polo Blue Motion — a hatch that can get around with a sparrow's mouthful of diesel. Introduced at the Geneva show earlier this year, the special Polo still can't touch the figures of V-dub's erstwhile Lupo 3L minicar, which could get 94 mpg, but sold poorly. Then again, the Polo's a real car, not just a prop for clowns. Thanks to aerodynamic tweaks and low-resistance tires, the Blue Motion can get 72.4 mpg from its 1.4-liter TDI engine — 10 mpg greater than the none-so-Blue version. All that and no stop-start function. With the US getting low-sulphur diesel this year, will we soon be rocking the 717-mile range? [UPDATE: Edmunds translated using British Imperial gallons, which are bizarrely larger than US gallons. The actual mileage is closer to 62 mpg. Not bad, but not quite "Prius-smoking." Thanks to Steve and Danny for the tip.]
Fuel Miser: Diesel Volkswagen Polo Blue Motion Hits 72 MPG [Edmunds]
Related:
Volkswagen Launches Polo GTI Cup [internal]