Tom's Foreign Auto

VW is one of the few car companies that consistently offers deisel engines in the US. They’ve been dedicated to keeping small fuel effiecient engines in as many US spec cars as they can but this year at the International Auto show they’ve shown us something a little different. In their european Polo Blue GT model VW has introduced cylinder deactivation technology on a 4 cylinder engine. Shutting down cylinders at certain engine rpm and load is nothing new as VW along with many other manufacturers have offered it for some time on their bigger engines. No one else offers this on a 4cyl though which makes it very interesting.

The new 1.4L turbo engine is able to deactivate cylinders to achieve a 60 mpg average fuel rating. This technology allows the new 1.4L engine to achieve 140 hp and a sub 7.9 second 0-60 when you need it but then cuts cylinders when the car is cruising under less of a load. It seems like VW is on the right path with this this one while others chase full electric and hybrid vehicles. VW has created something that can equal hybrid mpg numbers while matching gas engine performance. While the Polo is a European model, buyers can expect to see something very similar in the states over the next few years.