The 69.9 MPG Diesel Hybrid Edit

Watch out Prius, there’s a new kid about to hit the block!  Next month at the Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen is planning on debuting their first production hybrid model for the European market, the 2009 Golf Hybrid.  So far, Volkswagen has been quiet on the details, but the car is expected to have a parallel hybrid drivetrain with a 2.0 liter engine, an all-electric mode at low speed, start-stop capability, regenerative braking and a 7-speed DSG double-clutch transmission, according to Auto Express and AutoBlog Green.

The Golf Hybrid will get almost 70 mpg and will meet Europe’s stringent Euro V and America’s Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards, making it green enough to be sold in all 50 states (including California).  It is estimated that the car will emit just 89 g/km of CO2 (the Toyota Prius emits 104 g/km and Honda Civic Hybrid emits 116g/km).  Currently, the Golf Hybrid is slated to go on sale in Europe by the end of next year. 

Whether the diesel hybrid makes it to the US is still up in the air, particularly due to the extra cost associated with diesel engines, let alone the cost of the hybrid components.  Then there is the poor image that dielsels have in the US.  As AutoPacific’s Stephanie Brinley puts it “We still have diesel issues, people still associate diesel with buses and think they’re loud and smelly.”