Citroën and Peugeot have been putting out small, efficient vehicles for many years. At this weekend's H2Roma, the PSA group will talk about the green vehicles it hopes to bring to market in the future. H2Roma is an annual sustainable mobility and the PSA group's press release announcing its participation (pasted in full after the jump) gives us a compact rundown on how the companies will make future cars even cleaner. Check out the list:

• Continued improvement of gasoline and diesel powered internal combustion engines
• Second generation micro-hybrid technology on all cars by 2010
• Full diesel hybrid technology in 2011
• Preparation for the future Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV)

They just get better as you move down the list, don't they? Lots of potential problems to actually achieving these goals, but the diesel hybrid goal is the one I'm most excited about for my new car. Too bad we probably won't see diesel hybrids in the U.S. anytime soon.



[Source: PSA Peugeot Citroen]

A month ago, Volkswagen introduced the Passat BlueMotion II, a truly frugal car that gets mileage numbers in the 57 mpg range (U.S.) and emits just 109 g/km of CO₂. Now, the not-quite-as-clean Passat BlueMotion 2 is available for orders in the UK. The Passat BlueMotion 2 has automatic stop-start technology and a new 2.0-liter TDI 110 PS common rail diesel engine good for 46 mpg (U.S.) for the estate and 48 mpg for the saloon along with CO₂
emissions of 128 g/km and 129 g/km respectively. Aerodynamics were tweaked by closing off the front air intakes and lowering the ride height; small changes we've gotten quite used to in the last year or so. VW calls this "the most efficient, economical and environmentally friendly Passat yet produced." Costs start at £17,700 for the saloon and £18,835 for the estate, a moderate increase (£475) over the standard models. Read more after the jump.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 BMW 3-Series

BMW's Efficient Dynamics program has prompted the Bavarian automaker to add fuel-saving technologies to its line of vehicles. Most of the changes have been made first to the most fuel efficient models, including the adoption of stop/start technology. By bringing the engine to a stop instead of letting it idle away, a huge improvement can be realized, especially in city-style stop-and-go driving conditions. So far, all of the models to be so equipped have featured four-cylinder engines underhood. No longer. BMW will soon be waving its stop/start wand over its excellent inline six-cylinder engines.

Expect to see the stop/start make its first six cylinder appearance in the 3 Series. A bit later on down the line, the technology will spread across the entire brand's range of vehicles. Now that the United States may finally be getting four cylinder BMWs again, is it too much to ask for them to allow us to save some gas with the stop/start too? We'll see.


[Source: Channel 4]

Volkswagen has seen fit to offer stop/start technology on the next generation of its little hatchback, the Golf... or the Rabbit if you happen to live in the United States. To go along with the gasoline and carbon-saving technology, Vee Dub will add a BlueMotion label to all Golfs so-equipped. Although the stop/start technology will be standard on the BlueMotion Golf, it will also be optional on other models, according to Automotive News. So far, we have no indication on what powertrains the half-hybrid systems will be offered with, but we do know, and have already written about, new small engine options for the sixth-generation of the Golf. Considering how close we are to the planned late 2008 or early 2009 launch of the new hatch, we're sure that this new small-bore engine won't be available right away.

Expect to see VW's new stop/start technology trickle upwards to other models in its range. As is usually the case, the cost of the associated hardware will surely go down as it is installed in more and more vehicles.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Click above to view high-res gallery of the Alfa Romeo Kamal concept

Car-obsessed Americans will get another chance at the historic Alfa Romeo brand soon enough, as the company is planning on a resurgence for the U.S. market. As is the current trend among automakers, along with the beautiful range of automobiles that the Italian marque will be bringing to our shores, it plans on offering a crossover as well. Expect something in line with BMW's current utility vehicle offerings. What's more interesting to us at AutoblogGreen, though, is a possible hybrid system snagged from Fiat, which owns Alfa. Even if the full hybrid drivetrain is left off the docket, at the very least, a mild hybrid system in the form of stop/start will almost assuredly be available.

As an aside, take a good look at the Kamal concept from 2003. Looks a bit like the Subaru Tribeca before its last redesign, wouldn't you say?

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via Autoblog]

In the name of increased efficiency, and quite possibly playing the game of automotive one-upmanship, luxury automakers such as Mercedes Benz, BMW and Lexus have been adding more and more gear ratios to their automatic transmissions. By allowing a computer to choose the most appropriate ratio for any given scenario, the vehicle's engine is required to only make as much power as absolutely necessary, potentially saving fuel in the process. ZF, one of the largest transmission makers in the world, claims that their new 8-speed unit boasts an efficiency increase of eleven percent over its older 6-speed unit. The transmission giant has just developed a new modification, though, which could increase the overall vehicle efficiency even further. By adding a hydraulic impulse storage unit, the new ZF unit can support stop/start functionality, which they claim can result in an additional five percent reduction in fuel consumption.

[Source: Just-Auto - sub. req'd.]

French motor magazine l'Auto Journal has published pictures of the prototype of the new C4 that is coming in 2010. Besides the new styling themes, which eliminate parallel lines, the new model is built on the same platform as the current C4 and with similar proportions. Interviewed by French newspaper Le Figaro, Christian Streiff, PSA's CEO spoke about the new technical evolutions in the new C4. There is a mild hybrid system (called a micro-hybrid) with the Stop&Start system and Streiff mentioned a full-time hybrid diesel for the mid-range models.

PSA, which is one of the world leaders in diesel powertrains, is also investing in gasoline powertrains. A downsized 3-cylinder turbo engine will be unveiled during the upcoming Paris Auto Show, along with the French marque's version of double-clutch transmission, which should be much less expensive than VW's. Check out the current model C4 in our gallery.


[Source: L'Auto Journal and Le Figaro (thanks to Dominique for the tip)]

After PSA's announcement of taking things easy on diesel hybrids, it's at least good to know that they have decided to make the Start & Stop system available for the whole range of models. Nowadays, only certain versions of the Citroën C2 and C3 can be ordered with the Stop & Start system, a nifty fuel saver that shuts down the engine at traffic lights or when stuck in a traffic jam. This accounts for a 10 to 15 percent reduction in fuel consumption and CO₂ production figures.

PSA has just announced that they will make the system available for their complete lineup and - even better - it will be made standard. Their target is to install the system in a million vehicles by 2011 and 1.6 million by 2012.

[Source: Autoplus (thanks to my buddy Dominique for the tip)]