| Week at the Wheel | VW Golf BlueMotion |

As emissions continue to be driven down due to legislation and taxation, economy minded derivatives are spreading throughout every manufacturer's range. VW was one of the first to bring its version, BlueMotion, to market; a range of specialist models engineered with features to improve economy. Previously we've found them to be rather too compromised as a result. The new Golf BlueMotion promises the same economy, with less compromise.

Inside & Out:

The latest Golf shape is a conservative evolution of the previous version and is an already familiar sight on our roads. BlueMotion changes actually alter the looks slightly via a range of tweaks and addenda that smooth airflow around and under the car for optimum aerodynamics. Cleverly, the changes aren't at the detriment of appearance; indeed the suspension is lowered, and it's probably only the smaller wheels (shod with low resistance tyres) that give the BlueMotion away from a distance.

Not much has changed in the form and function of the interior, which means the class leading comfort and quality we've come to expect remain in place and it's still the family hatch to beat in this area. The most noticeable change, mainly because it's ever present in your line of sight, is the gear change indicator on the dash which, as the name suggests, lets the driver know what gear should be selected, and when, for optimum economy - to get anywhere near the official economy figures the indicator needs to be obeyed.

Engine & Transmission:

Economic trickery abounds under the bonnet of the BlueMotion Golf. First and foremost a basically efficient 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine forms the core of the package. Tuned relatively conservatively in terms of headline figures it produces 103bhp and 185lb.ft of torque, the latter at a speed of only 1,500rpm, ensuring the engine is extended to the minimum and revs kept as low as possible in normal driving to minimise fuel consumption.

To further aid this, ratios for third, fourth and fifth gears are lengthened versus the standard Golf's to ensure engine speed is kept low at a cruise. Previously, BlueMotion cars have suffered in terms of performance; this is probably the first car of this type that didn't feel underpowered in everyday driving. Around town the stop-start feature stops the engine at every opportunity when the car is at a standstill; energy is regenerated when coasting and braking, and even before the engine is stopped the idle speed is set lower than in the normal car - saving even more fuel.

The result of all of this is a fantastic set of economy figures, and subsequently the magic CO₂ number that drives tax. VW quotes combined economy of 74.3mpg, with 60.1mpg around town, and a CO₂ emissions figure just below the magic 100g/km barrier, at 99g/km. These numbers reflect a benefit of at least 10 percent over a regular Golf. In practice a normal week's motoring yielded a figure of 54mpg overall but modifying our driving style demonstrated appreciable gains and a 60mpg cruise wasn't too difficult to maintain.

Ride & Handling:

Relatively tall profile tyres (195/65 R15) mean that the BlueMotion's ride quality isn't negatively impacted by its lowered suspension in the same way a normal Golf with more aggressive rubber would be, and it actually rides very well as a result. Outright grip levels are noticeably reduced over those of other Golfs, again courtesy of the narrow, low rolling resistance tyres, but most drivers would never drive the car hard enough to explore the upper limits of the grip levels and there's adequate there to enjoy the car when the opportunity presents itself.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

The BlueMotion's very existence is aimed almost entirely at the pursuit of economy and, if you play by its rules in the way you drive it, it delivers in spades with fuel consumption that boosts the theoretical cruising range to 900 miles on a tank full of diesel, along with emissions that duck beneath the taxable threshold. All of this in a package that includes the quality, image, reliability and kit levels that one would expect in a Golf. And just to cap things off a brief internet search suggested a £2k reduction from the £18k list price is readily available.

Overall:

The fact that the latest BlueMotion model feels much like any other Golf says much about how the genre has progressed; the first generation of eco-models felt compromised in many ways, but this one does not. One should always take into account the consideration that if you drove any car the way the BlueMotion demands you drive it, you would make significant benefits in economy overall, but this car asks for so little in exchange for the benefits that it offers that it's hard to argue against.