Geneva Motor Show: Volkswagen Concept A with CNG Twincharger
Volkswagen slapped a turbo and a supercharger on a 1.4L four-banger at the same time and wowed us all last year with its Twincharger. The technology returns in concept form on V-dub’s Concept A sport utility that features the same 1.4L Twincharger engine, but this time running on compressed natural gas. The TSI CNG engine develops 150 hp and uses about 5.0 kg of natural gas per 100 kilometers.
Aside from the trick powerplant technology, VW says that the look of the Concept A indicates what future all-terrain vehicles below the Touareg will be like. The concept casts the shadow of a coupe and features 20-inch wheels, suicide rear doors and a liftgate like a truck below the traditional hatch.
More lives shots of the Concept A and VW’s press release after the jump.
World premier II: Concept A with the first natural gas Twincharger
- The visitors of the Geneva Auto Salon can experience another world premier under the hood of the Concept A study. It is fueled by the first natural gas (CNG) powered TSI. This via compressor and turbo double charged 1.4 liter engine (Twincharger) develops 110 kW / 150 hp and uses an average of only 5.0 kg natural gas every hundred kilometers.
- Highly charged engines like the TSI from Volkswagen generally work with a high efficiency degree. This again significantly improves with the CNG (compressed natural gas, 130 ROZ). One of the positive effects: The CO2 balance of the natural gas powered TSI engines is 20 to 25 percent lower than a gas fueled TSI. Above that, TSI CNG advances to one of the most important stepping stone technologies on the way to a crude oil independent mobility. Through conversion from natural gas to synthetic fuel (gas-to-liquids) for instance Synfuel is produced. It is environmentally benign bio-degradable fuel which – among other things – allows the mentioned CCS hybrid combustion process.
- Fact is: The over 200 km/h fast Concept A BlueMotion shows the vanguard gateway between sports cars and the SUVs of tomorrow. It front part gives an insight of a future VW all-terrain vehicle under the Touareg. The silhouette shows the lines of a coupe. The front and rear doors open facing each other. The carriage overhangs are briskly short, the hood long, the C columns one of a kind. 20 inch alloy rims and 295 tires fill out the space in the distinctively extended wheelhouses. The rear part, with its athletic flanks, imparts a strong elegance. The hatchback is built in tailgate-style and can be opened in two steps: the area under the rear lights swings out like a pick-up loading surface and thus creates a lot of room for big items.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Ray @ DetroitWonk 9:09AM (3/02/2006)
My fast told me to like this car.
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bernie 9:35AM (3/02/2006)
Just one photo (let alone the 75 you posted) tells me this is a big miss for Vee Dub. I have owned and loved VWs from my 67 Beetle to the Karmann Ghia, to the Scirocco to the 2000 Passat 4-Motion. But this car is awful on many levels. Even 29" car show wheels can't help it. That last photo looks like the resurrection of the AMC Eagle.
What the hell has gone wrong over there?
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R? 9:36AM (3/02/2006)
I showed this to my 51 years old father and the first thing he said was: When can I see this in the VW showroom? :-)
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Lupo 9:46AM (3/02/2006)
The headlight treatment makes the car look like it's crying.
How appropriate.
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Steve 9:50AM (3/02/2006)
Put a side view of this VW concept next to a '71 Pinto... funny how things change, and yet always remain the same.
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Paul 9:53AM (3/02/2006)
It's handsome, but forgettable. VW needs to stick to making iconic designs - New Beetle, prev-gen Jetta - instead of going after me-too markets.
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Mitch Capps 10:04AM (3/02/2006)
I for one am a guy who will buy only american cars , but that thing is cool , Id even think of buying that car , I love the Idea of the sucide doors, and the rear tail-gate, and the interior is fantastic
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VW-Guy 10:07AM (3/02/2006)
I've said it before, I'll say it again....
VW - BUILD IT! This is cool.
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Puff Chippy 10:52AM (3/02/2006)
That's kinda attractive in a fugly sort of way. Too bad VW's are such garbage because this definitely has some potential.
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Steve 11:09AM (3/02/2006)
Ray
I laughed out loud on that one! It does look like an angry little fast on wheels.
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electro^plankton 11:17AM (3/02/2006)
They'll never build anything like this. This is conservative ass VW we're talking about here. Toyota might build something like this, but VW? NEVER.
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Sarcasm is necessary 12:37PM (3/02/2006)
"Toyota might build something like this, but VW? NEVER"
Ahhh, Toyota. The poster child for radical design. Nobody ever accused them of being conservative.
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boomgirrl 1:50PM (3/02/2006)
I'd say the new FJ Cruiser is pretty radical...for Toyota that is. It's like a Giant Smurf.
And I agree, it doesn't look like something VW would build. It looks a little Japanese to me.
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Richard Warren 2:05PM (3/02/2006)
Refering back to the car old folks should drive article:
I'm in! Love it!
Wife loved it too.
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Bone 3:22PM (3/02/2006)
I seem to recall a time when I'd see a concept car and dream of the manufacturer producing that very car for the public. These days, I see a concept and long to see what it could look like without all the conceptual nonsense. So either its a function of my getting older and my tastes getting "urp!" more conservative. Or concept cars are getting more laden with silly ginger bread. I'm hoping it's the latter.
This concept for example seems to have a decent design trying to to fight its way out.
The profile has nice 5-door proportions but the look gets chopped up with the aluminum finish A-pillars and yet another material for the roof. Its like they design these things with Legos. The front obviously suffers from a similar problem. There is way too much complexity and too many surfaces. Tone all that down though, and you may have something worthwhile.
And I sure would like to try out that drivetrain.
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Joshi 5:43PM (3/02/2006)
I agree that VW should persue making (and remaking) their iconic designs, rather than persuing me-too markets. I loved the last-generation Jetta and Passat, but the new ones look...Asianonymous. I want to love the Eos, but it looks so..."blah." And I love the New Beetle, although I wish VW kept it fresher. (Hard to believe it's nearing the end of its first decade!)
But as much as I feel that VW is pursuing the wrong path, an article in the March Motor Trend gives me hope. It talks about how VW is considering building a New Scirocco for 2008. I'd love that. Even better, the article concludes by saying that New Microbus project - while put on hold - isn't dead yet.
Those are the types of cars VW should be making. I'm not saying they should only pursue "retro" designs. Not by any means. But VW is currently going the opposite direction - making "un-VW-like" cars in hopes of stealing a few sales from it's competitors. Don't go generic, VW - your character is why we love you.
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ROMPJ 8:18PM (3/02/2006)
The Dune concept was much more UTTER then this.
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Alan 12:31AM (3/03/2006)
More important than how it looks is how it drives, IMO. As "Asianonymous" as the new VWs look, they drive and handle much better than the last generation.
Nevertheless, the public seems to like fancy styling as well. VW needs some radical designs to get people to notice their cars again. Imagine if the next Scirocco looked like this?
I notice the controversial grille is on the Concept A.
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Caesar 9:36PM (3/21/2006)
VW should build it. They'd sell a lot of them, and make money while refreshing the brand. I'd buy a 2.0 turbo for over $30K.
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Adam 12:18PM (9/06/2006)
I love it. VW should build it. An AWD SUV/Crossover coupe or sedan is the next big thing. Look at the success of Subaru. People don't want big or even mid-sized SUV/4x4 any more. And a Jeep Wrangler is not very practical. A smaller on-road/off-road vehicle is what we need. Jeep should have built their Jeepster instead of the Commander or Compass. Audi will be coming out with their version of the Concept A, called the Q3 a year later and BMW is coming out with the X Sport. I will be first in line to buy a Concept A.
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