VW Polo TGI and TSI: Cars of common sense
COMPARISON The smart VW Polo is compact on the outside and spacious on the inside. It is dynamic, economical, reliable and good value for money - both as a TGI and as a TSI. The VW Polo TGI has been in use as the editorial team's annual test car since May 2018. It is powered by an engine that utilizes both natural gas and gasoline. According to the manufacturer, [...]
The VW Polo TGI has been in use as the editorial team's annual test car since May 2018. It is powered by an engine that uses both natural gas and gasoline. According to the manufacturer, the total range is 1190 kilometers. We checked this and came up with an average of 1155.3 kilometers. Not bad.
Range suitable for everyday use with natural gas
With the natural gas tank alone, we managed 365 kilometers - thanks to many highway kilometers. Since then, we have realistically managed between 280 and 320 kilometers on a single tank of natural gas. That depends largely on how much city driving we do. In retrospect, we can say that in Switzerland this range is absolutely suitable for everyday use, and you can always reach a gas station without having to tap the gasoline supply. Switching to gasoline mode is automatic and imperceptible.
Nine centimes cost per kilometer
On the one hand, natural gas burns more environmentally friendly than gasoline (lower CO2 emissions), and it emits practically no particulates. On the other hand, gas operation is less expensive. A kilo of natural gas costs about the same as a liter of gasoline, but contains one and a half times the energy value.
At the start of the test, the price per kilo was 1.50 francs in many places. In the meantime, however, many energy suppliers have raised it to an average of 1.75 francs. Nevertheless, the energy price per kilometer is still around six centimes, while a gasoline kilometer in the Polo costs at least nine centimes.
Difference from the environmental Wolfsburg
And what does it look like when you're on the road with a pure gasoline engine? Asked, considered, done. We set off across Switzerland, combined with a few quick kilometers on the highway to Stuttgart. The motto in the specifications was to empty the tank until the Polochen came to a halt somewhere, bubbling away.
The comparison gasoline engine 1.0 TSI with 95 hp (available from 14,900 Swiss francs) was equipped with a 7-speed automatic DSG. Here, the comparison lags a bit. Let's keep it short: The speedometer showed 721 kilometers when nothing more worked. For this distance we paid 63.06 francs. Not bad.
