We Compared Volkswagen Golf Engines, And The Efficiency Crown ...

By Farzana Chaumoo

VW's Golf is known for its strong performance, high safety ratings, and class-leading build. It combines affordability with the fun-to-drive factor and all of which comes through with some European flair. It also has an impressive fuel economy. We take a look at the 5 engines in the latest Golf range to see which has the most efficient figures on paper.

All Volkswagen Golf models are efficient in correlation to their performance. Volkswagen uses impressive fuel efficiency as one of the key selling points for the Golf. It competes with many rivals on running costs, be it the eco-tuned models or the high-performance derivatives. When compared to its rivals, the Golf also holds on to its value better and its high-quality image makes it very desirable on the used car market.

L/100km and C02

Best in the range for fuel consumption is the 1.0 TSI 81kW petrol engine paired to a 6-speed manual gearbox. It has sufficient power and also features BlueMotion Technology: Start-Stop with Brake-energy Recuperation as standard that helps in delivering a low fuel economy of 4.8/100 km on a Combined cycle and 4.2/100 km on an Extra-urban cycle. An Urban cycle is rated at 6.0/100 km. It emits 109 g/km of CO2. This petrol derivative is ideal for owners who will cover less than 20,000 kilometers a year. It’s also a good option for company-car drivers.

If you’re in need of more power, there’s the 1.4 TSI 92kW Comfortline DSG model that puts out the same amount of torque, 200 Nm, as the 1.0 TSI and is paired to a 7-speed DSG® gearbox. These two TSI models have very similar figures. It returns 5.2L/100 km on a Combined cycle and 4.3L/100 km on an Extra-urban cycle, while the Urban cycle is rated at 6.1L/100 km. CO2 figures are a little higher with the car emitting 120 g/km.

We then jump to the bigger petrol and diesel engines for the high-performance models in the Golf catalogue. A 2.0-litre engine can be found in the Golf GTI (petrol), the Golf GTD (diesel) and the Golf R (petrol). The 169 kW GTI manages 5.3L/100 km on a Combined cycle and 5.6L/100 km on an Urban cycle with a six-speed DSG gearbox and emits 149 g/km of CO2. The 130 kW GTD 6.4L/100 km on a Combined cycle and 8.2L/100 km on an Urban cycle, also with a six-speed DSG gearbox and emits 139 g/km of CO2. The 228 kW Golf R manages 7.2L/100 km on a Combined cycle and 8.9L/100 km on an Urban cycle with a seven-speed DSG gearbox and emits 164 g/km of CO2.

Also read, Which Volkswagen Golf is better: diesel or petrol?

Which engines give maximum fuel efficiency?