Volkswagen has been active in the first quarter of 2010 in
its shift toward greener vehicles. The New Compact Coupe (NCC) hybrid concept
was unveiled at the 2010 North American International Auto Show. Volkswagen
highlighted the Touareg hybrid at the Munich Postpalast well ahead of the
Geneva Motor Show. The latest addition to Volkswagen’s next generation of
vehicles is the third-generation Sharan minivan. Volkswagen showcased a
production version of the Sharan at this week’s Geneva Motor Show.
The 2010 Volkswagen Sharan will be made available in four
engine options. The TSI gasoline engines produce 148 horsepower and 197
horsepower while the TDI diesels produce 138 horsepower and 168 horsepower. The
standard Sharan drive system is augmented with a stop-start system that
eliminates fuel consumption at full stops. Volkswagen will include an engine
recuperation system to turn mechanical energy into electrical power for later
use. These small improvements are the first steps in Volkswagen’s evolution
into a green vehicle leader.
The performance statistics cited by Volkswagen would make
the Sharan 3.0 a good balancing act between green and traditional driving. Volkswagen
notes that the latest Sharan achieves a fuel mileage rating of 44.4 miles per
gallon. This figure would vault the Sharan to the top of the leader board in
the minivan market. The Sharan is electronically limited to 119 miles per hour
at the top end in order to achieve this fuel mileage rating. Volkswagen was
also concerned about meeting the Euro 5 emissions standards to be implemented in
all new vehicles by January 2011. This new model will feature a SCR catalytic converter
to push down nitrogen oxide emissions below Euro 5 levels.
Volkswagen is using the Touareg, the Sharan and other
existing models as Trojan horses into the clean vehicle market. The company has
already sold 600,000 units of the first and second generations of the Sharan,
mostly in the European Union. The third-generation Sharan may not feature the
bells and whistles of more advanced hybrids but the 44 MPG rating is
impressive. Volkswagen is often lumped into the “other” category in discussions
of hybrids typically dominated by Toyota and Honda. The latest flurry of
concepts and production models from Volkswagen should help the automaker break
into these discussions.
