Volkswagen has announced a plug-in hybrid version of the new Golf that will share a part-electric drivetrain with the new Audi A3 e-Tron.
The plug-in Golf, which will go on sale in 2014, gets a 148bhp 1.4 TSI petrol engine tied into a 100bhp electric motor and enough batteries to travel for up to 50km with a full charge in pure electric mode. The electric side of the drivetrain can also allow the Golf to coast on battery power for brief periods at high speed and can also boost acceleration when needed. VW’s official figures claim a remarkable 188mpg fuel consumption and just 35g/km of CO2. It’s the latest addition to the Golf range that will also feature a plug-in hybrid version due for launch next year.
Eight finalists line up for Car of the Year
Europe’s Car of the Year winner will be announced next Monday, March 4th, with eight cars in the running for the prestigious prize. A final test event was held last week at the Mortefontaine facility outside Paris, where judges put each of the eight models through their paces on a selection of testing conditions.
The finalists this year are: Ford B-Max; Hyundai i30; Mercedes A-Class; Peugeot 208; Renault Clio; Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ; VW Golf; and Volvo V40. The announcement will be made at the Geneva motor show.
“ . . . and a tall skinny latte for my car, please”
Martin Bacon, a UK-based engineer, has created a series of cars powered by waste coffee, and his latest one, a Ford Sierra P100 pickup from the 1980s, has just set a record 65mph speed for cars powered by such systems.
The waste coffee is burned in a charcoal burner mounted at the back of the car, releasing carbon monoxide and hydrogen. And it’s the hydrogen that gets pumped into the engine to create some bangs and some forward motion. Mr Bacon has said that similar technology was used to power cars during the second World War when petrol rationing was in force.
Mitsubishi’s new Star joins the space race
Mitsubishi has confirmed pricing for its new Space Star supermini. Starting at €11,995, it features the firm’s new eight-year/150,000km warranty as standard. The Space Star will be available in a choice of two models in Ireland: a 1-litre 70bhp petrol (€11,995) and a 1.2-litre 80bhp petrol version (€14,495). The 1-litre engine produces just 92g/km of CO2 emissions with annual motor tax of €180.
Dublin pips Limerick as capital of car vandalism
Limerick and Dublin are the worst counties in the country for car vandalism, according to a poll by AA Insurance. Of the 18,000 people surveyed last month 6 per cent said that their car had been targeted by vandals at some point during the last two years. This figure was slightly higher among the Dublin residents polled, with 7 per cent – or 440 people – saying vandals had damaged their car within the last two years, while 9 per cent of the Limerick respondents polled said that an act of vandalism had been carried out on their car.