VAG - Diesels are a no go in small cars

[pologti18t]

Buyers shun diesel in cars; SUVs still strong

VAG is retreating in offering diesel models in smaller cars in Aus

No diesel polo
No diesel rapid

Diesels sales in Golf range down to 18%.

[Dutch77]

A lot of consumers I suspect were buying on the headline fuel consumption figures.

The latest VAGs are so damn economical, at least as officially listed, that those buyers aren't seeing much benefit to the diesels. Especially as there is little difference in pricing a lot of the time these days between the two fuels.

Some fuel pricing info available here:

Motorists as Consumers - Australian Automobile Association

[kamold]

I would agree Dutch77. I hired a Mk7 Golf over the past 2 days and drove around 300kms around Melbourne and surrounds. Averaged 5.7L/100 which is about what I get in the vRS TDI.

So when fuel consumption is the primary reason most consumers opt for a diesel they'll naturally choose a cheaper petrol model when those headline figures are comparable.

[Eaglehawk]

I just buy whatever model has the 6 speed DSG...wish I could have stretched it to a GTI though

[nightphotographer]

This sucks - I still maintain the best car I've owned to this day is a MK1 Fabia VRS 1.9TDI tuned to 181bhp atw. No matter how hard you drove it, still averaged at 60mpg (4.5l/100). And that TDI torque is just addictive!

[THE_EGG]

I'm not surprised tbh. It is pretty rare to see a diesel powered Polo or Cooper D or other diesel cars that size. My diesel polo 6R TDI DSG had pretty awful economy though when I had it. About 10-11L/100km average (about 8L/100km on highways I seem to remember) and it was also as slow as a slug. My DS3 with a 1.6T petrol (cooper S engine) averages ~7L/100km even when I'm driving the socks off it (~5.5L/100km highway). ~16L/100km at max though on a track.

[kaanage]

MK1 Fabia VRS 1.9TDI

This is the magic combination - big(gish) torquey diesel in a little car. It doesn't look so economical on the specs but it the real world, they are terrific to drive and sip fuel (I can get 1200km from 55l in suburban driving). It's just too bad that the current Polo has to make do with the smaller 1.6 which is further hampered by the DPF.

If my Polo got destroyed, I'd find another 1.9 9N3 Tdi. And if I couldn't find one, I wouldn't buy one if the new Polo Tdi's

[Jarred]

I'm not surprised new golf diesel sales are down, considering they're only available in the highline model. Alot of people don't want to pay 36K+ for a 'standard hatchback'. It's like they don't even want to push them..

[tye722]

Also aren't diesels more expensive to service?


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[singlespeed]

Also aren't diesels more expensive to service?


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After the capped price servicing ends they're a bit more expensive but not by much. I bought the 110TDI for the torque, it makes driving the Golf a great experience. I find 4 cylinder petrol cars boring, with no 6 cylinder Golf option any more the TDI is a great choice. I only wish the GTD would have been a option.


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[singlespeed]

I'm not surprised new golf diesel sales are down, considering they're only available in the highline model. Alot of people don't want to pay 36K+ for a 'standard hatchback'. It's like they don't even want to push them..

They can't even keep the TSI in stock, they sell as fast as they arrive. I agree there should be a Comfortline TDI.


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[AndrewBurns]

Small modern turbo petrol engines are very close in efficiency to diesel engines now and given the relative prices of petrol and diesel and the premium you pay at purchase for the diesel version there's just no argument economically for the diesel in most cases. What's more is DPF diesels work their best after they've warmed up and need long trips to meet their fuel consumption figures and regen their DPF's. Most drivers in Australia are going to be living in cities and for stop-start city driving the petrol is a better choice from a technical point of view.

My Father is looking at medium SUV's right now and I told him to look at the petrol models for those reasons.

[tigger73]

Small modern turbo petrol engines are very close in efficiency to diesel engines now and given the relative prices of petrol and diesel and the premium you pay at purchase for the diesel version there's just no argument economically for the diesel in most cases. What's more is DPF diesels work their best after they've warmed up and need long trips to meet their fuel consumption figures and regen their DPF's. Most drivers in Australia are going to be living in cities and for stop-start city driving the petrol is a better choice from a technical point of view.

My Father is looking at medium SUV's right now and I told him to look at the petrol models for those reasons.

+1.

A lot of small cars are used for short trips to the shops and schools, etc.

Although this is not good in terms of wear and tear for any combustion engine (perhaps this is a good case for an electric car) the diesel is going to come out worse for wear with this type of usage.

However if you're like many modern consumers and update every 3 years when the warranty expires then it's not really going to make a lot of difference (other than the higher purchase price for diesel cars).

So I'd have to agree that petrol is sneaking ahead again.

[AndrewBurns]

Yeah the ideal is an electric car for 80% of trips (to/from work and the shops) and the internal combustion car for weekends/longer trips. Unfortunately widespread adoption of electric cars will require them to be available at reasonable prices and discounts on rego and insurance for them, because nobody is going to pay double rego and insurance for a car that's limited compared to a petrol.

Technically though electric car technology is already mature enough for a practical and affordable commuter/shopping trolley car, the real holdup at this point is market acceptance. It's like a chicken and egg problem.

[Transporter]

What's more is DPF diesels work their best after they've warmed up and need long trips to meet their fuel consumption figures? and regen their DPF's. Most drivers in Australia are going to be living in cities and for stop-start city driving the petrol is a better choice from a technical point of view.

My Father is looking at medium SUV's right now and I told him to look at the petrol models for those reasons.

It's a petrol engines that have a much worst fuel economy when they're warming up than the diesels. You need to drive both to compare.

My daughter has 2012 TDI Tiguan and 2 years of extremely short trips (6-7km in city traffic), didn't have any ill affect on the DPF, and the 2years average fuel consumption of 6.5L/100km. I must admit that she does two 22km trips at the end of the week as a part of her travelling, that's all what is needed these days for the latest DPF equipped cars to regenerate the DPFs.

Even the hybrids today still have the combustion engine and the short trips won't be good for it, not talking about the batteries that will have a decreased performance if you do only the short trips, because the car will be running on that small combustion engine most of the time (unless you recharge the batteries from the grid), so the engine sludge and carbon build up will be a problem, unless you take extra care (not really common these days), the water accumulation in the fuel from condensation will also have a negative impact on such a car.
Further more, anything that turns the wheels will have the gears and oil or grease in them and the short trips won't do any good to these hybrids.