Paris Motor Show - Volkswagen is labelling this a concept car - but it's a fully-functional runner and the final version of the of the Golf 7 BlueMotion will go into production (for Europe anyway) in the third quarter of 2013.
Click here to read more about the Golf 7 and view the picture gallery
Wolfsburg claims that the concept is the most fuel-efficient Golf yet, averaging just 3.2 litres per 100km on the EU combined cycle (15 percent better than the previous Golf BlueMotion could manage) and emitting a creditable 85g/km of CO2.
Yet it's still a family-friendly five-seater with 81kW on tap and a top speed of 202km/h.
HOW'D THEY DO THAT?
It starts with a new, direct-injection, 16-valve, 1.6-litre EA288 turbodiesel, churning out 250Nm from 1500-2750rpm.
Reduced internal friction, a new thermal management system with shortened warm-up phase, exhaust gas recirculation, cylinder pressure sensors, a two-stage oil pump, a switching water pump and a liquid-cooled intercooler built into the intake manifold all help to reduce fuel consumption, while an oxidation catalytic converter, a diesel particulate filter and a nitrous oxide storage catalytic converter clean up exhaust gases.
ADDING LIGHTNESS
The Golf 7 is in any case 63kg lighter than its predecessor, and the BlueMotion concept takes advantage of that with a longer ratios in its five-speed gearbox, super low rolling-resistance tyres with higher air pressure, idle stop and overrun energy recovery.
Its frontal area has been reduced by 0.03m2 and aerodynamic drag by nearly 10 percent. On top of that the BlueMotion concept benefits from a 15mm lower ride height, a roof spoiler, lateral air guide elements on the rear window, a faired-in, sealed grille, partially-closed air inlets, improved cooling airflow, special underfloor panels, optimised brake cooling channels and a C-pillar spoiler, giving it a drag coefficient of only 0.27.