Automakers claim that the new generation of small turbocharged engines keep the same performance or even improve older powertrains, as we saw for a VW Passat. However, it's good to know that a mostly performance-oriented publication, Auto News, has tested the new 122 hp 1.4-liter turbocharged VW engine, mated to a 7-speed DSG transmission. Their veredict? Yes, it works as advertised. The magazine's measurements verified the automaker's claims and found the Octavia a pleasure to drive although they heaped more praise on the transmission than on the engine power itself. The hefty wagon (1,300 kg) has a top speed of 201 km/h (120 mph - in case you need to experience the speed limit-free areas of certain sections of the Autobahn) and made it from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 9.8 seconds. Fortunately, fuel consumption remained good at 6.3 l/100 km (37 mpg U.S.) with CO₂ emissions of 147 g/km. The car is Euro V-compliant, but not cheap at around €24,000.

[Source: Auto News]

Large sedans don't usually have small engines, but CO₂ emissions limits and taxes have given automakers incentive to launch green versions of their larger models. Think of the Citroën C5 Airdream, the Opel Insignia Ecoflex or the VW Passat Bluemotion. Now we can add Škoda, a brand that belongs to the Volkswagen group, and its Superb Greenline to the list. Mated to the same engine as the Passat, a 1.9 TDI PD diese that is good for 105 hp, 46 mpg U.S. (5.1 l/100 km) and CO₂ emission levels of 136 g/km. The Superb isn't small; in fact, it's larger than an Audi A6. The Green Line model has lost a bit of weight and gets longer gears, a remapping of the engine for improved efficiency, improved aerodynamics and low-rolling resistance tires. Prices start at £16,710 in the UK.



[Source: Škoda UK]

This time, a high mile per gallon number was recorded in Europe and not with a Peugeot. A group of German motor journalists managed to get 3.2 l/100 km (73 mpg U.S.) in a Skoda Fabia TDI Greenline. The car had a 1.4 TDI (diesel) engine good for 80 HP. The thirty-six journalists (we're guessing not all of them at the same time) drove the Czech subcompact for 124 km (about 80 miles), using normal highways between Austria and Germany and never going below 60 km/h (40 mph). The only "trick" they used was maintaining as constant a speed as possible. The 73mpg figure handily beats the official EU highway cycle figure, which is 4.1 l/100 km (57mpg). Skoda belongs to the VW group and is based in the Czech Republic.

[Source: Auto Presse]

Skoda, the Czech marque that belongs to the VW group, has announced that its Octavia model will from now on use the latest iteration of TDI technology. TDI is based in the use of common-rail injection, and it phases out pump-injectors. The new Superb, due in two months, will also have the new engines installed.

The first powertrain will be installed in the sporty RS version, which gets 170 HP of diesel power from a 2-liter unit, while keeping fuel consumption at very low levels: 5.7 l/100 km for the sedan and 5.9 l/100 km for the station wagon version (42 and 41 mpg, U.S., respectively). A diesel particulate filter comes standard. DPFs can also be fitted to VW's double-clutch transmission for better performance. Prices start at € 28,050 in Germany.

[Source: Autoblog en Español]

Click image for a hi-res gallery of the Škoda Superb GreenLine

The latest version of the VW Passat-derived Škoda Superb is making its official debut in Geneva this week, and the Czech marque's flagship will also be offered in the eco-themed GreenLine trim. Many of Volkswagen's BlueMotion lessions are applied here, meaning a redesigned, more aerodynamic fascia, lowered ride height, reduced weight, taller gearing and an efficient engine underhood. In the case of the Superb GreenLine, power is derived from a 1.9L TDI PD DPF with a diesel particulate filter good for 103-horses and around 184 lb-ft of torque. End result? 46 U.S. mpg (5.1 l / 100 km) in the combined cycle and carbon dioxide emissions of 136 g/km. And no, we don't think you need to take the giant leaf graphic as part of the deal.


[Source: Škoda]

Škoda has finally completed the launch of three greener versions of its recently updated Fabia, the star-selling subcompact of the Czech marque. The models that have been launched under the GreenLine label are two TDI Fabias, a hatchback (check our post about the UK price here) and a combi (station wagon) and a FlexFuel, able to run on E85.

The TDIs are equipped with the 1.4 TDi you can find in the complete VW line of European models and brands, like the Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion and the Seat Ibiza Ecomotive (an older iteration of this engine equipped the Audi A2). The car is good for 4.2 l/100 km (56 US mpg) and 110 CO2 g/km.

The FlexFuel is an adapted version of the 1.6 MPi good for 106 HP, aimed for markets like the Scandinavian countries. No consumption figures nor CO2 emissions were announced.

[Source: European Dealer Network]

The video above, an ad for Škoda's Fabia, is amazing. It features car construction with the greenest materials ever: Sugar, floor, eggs ... it's a big cake! Everything from the engine to seats to bumper is made in delicious detail. Below the fold is a 5-minute making of the commercial which includes the recipe. When they are not pioneering the art of edible car construction, Škoda makes the real thing.

At the Frankfurt Auto Show, Škoda will have a green, diesel concept car, the Fabia Estate, that gets 69 MPG and emits 110 grams per kilometer of CO2. We have written about Škoda before, when they proved that a car could emit 120 grams and still be a seller. Proving naysayers wrong, that's one of my favorite things. And hey, the commercial includes the song My Favorite Things.

[Source: YouTube]

If you're into technology, there's a lot to love about Škoda's recent announcement about the future of the company car. If you're a fan of once in a while not having to work, there's a lot to be afraid of. If you're interested in what and how much cars of the future will emit into the atmosphere, then there's a lot missing.

Škoda asked the Centre for Future Studies think tank to envision what a typical company car will look like in 40 years. The Centre came back with the idea of a hyper-connected vehicle that is "eco-friendly" and allows the driver (who will become much more passive in the driver's sear) to get all kinds of work done in the car. Fleet vehicles will be "virtual colleagues" to company car drivers by 2050, is the concept.

You can read the Centre's entire prediction after the jump, but here are the highlights. The driver will have "full interaction" with all sorts of digital devices, from office computers to PDAs. The car itself will communicate with the network and nearby cars to take over most of the driving duties, and will vibrate the steering wheel or the seat to warn the driver of dangerous conditions outside the car.

Even though the Centre tried to envision the "Next Net" version of the Internet, they didn't try to predict what sorts of powertrains will move these high-tech cars. I suppose we'll have to wait to see exactly what "eco-friendly" means in the future. Go ahead and put your hand up though if you think that, in 2050, the hydrogen economy will be 10-20 years away.

[Source: Škoda]