Volkswagen releases petrol engine with diesel-like economy

The latest addition to the Volkswagen Golf engine line-up offers “diesel-like efficiency” in the guise of a 129bhp petrol engine.

Currently available in four variants of the mid-size hatchback, the 1.5 TSI ACT BlueMotion has a micro-hybrid system that helps keep this petrol engine’s fuel usage down and closer to that of current diesel units.

With a quoted combined 58.9mpg, this brings this unit in-line with comparable diesel units and is 10 per cent more efficient than similarly-sized petrols.

This engine uses the latest technology to ensure its high levels of efficiency, including active cylinder management – which shuts down two of the four cylinders when possible and notifies the driver when its employed – and a micro-hybrid 12V electrical setup that shuts the engine down completely to use ‘eco-coasting’ and offers near-zero-emission driving.

The TSI uses a Miller cycle combustion process, which means shorter timings for each cylinder stroke that lowers fuel use and emissions, and improves torque levels at lower engine speeds.

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To fill in the gaps of performance, Volkswagen pairs the engine with a variable turbine geometry turbocharger, which uses exhaust gases to spin the turbine for reduced turbo lag and helps reduce emissions and fuel usage.

Volkswagen has said that with this setup, the engine can use a larger electrical element to make hybrid vehicles – may that be mild-, full- or plug-in hybrids.