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Volkswagen has introduced its green BlueMotion range to its Touran and Sharan seven-seat MPVs.
Volkswagen will be hoping the BlueMotion moniker can help update the ageing Sharan people carrier; it was introduced in 1995 and sold 3855 examples in the UK in 2007, but it’s not due for replacement until 2010.
Fitted with a common-rail 2.0-litre 138bhp turbodiesel engine, aerodynamic updates, low-resistance tyres and a revised gearbox, the Volkswagen Sharan BlueMotion returns a claimed 47.1mpg ...Read the full article

SEAT have already introduced their version of this in the form of the Alhambra Ecomotive.  At £1440 cheaper at retail price before discounts, if I was in the market for a vehicle like this, I know which one I'd choose.

 VW's Blue Motion has more than a whiff of brown motion about it.

Has anyone looked into the roadholding drawbacks of these low resistance eco tyres? For the last 30 years the whole move has been to greater grip, especially lateral. Along comes some spiv and his $150 barrel and some bolshevik pol banning burning of carbon and in the blink of an eye it's goodbye super grippy Pirelli PZeros and hello super pumped up, hard as flint compound, Model T type tyres.

horseandcart:

Has anyone looked into the roadholding drawbacks of these low resistance eco tyres? For the last 30 years the whole move has been to greater grip, especially lateral. Along comes some spiv and his $150 barrel and some bolshevik pol banning burning of carbon and in the blink of an eye it's goodbye super grippy Pirelli PZeros and hello super pumped up, hard as flint compound, Model T type tyres.

They're not that bad.  In fact they provide more grip than some of the cheap budget branded Chinese tyres that are on the market.

Besides, manufacturers have been producing cars and tyres with more grip than they actually need over the past couple of years anyway.  The majority of drivers will never reach their limits on the road even with low rolling resistance boots.  Add in to the equation traction control and ESP devices and their road holding drawbacks are more or less erased.

In a lot of these eco-models, amonst other things the engine is detuned and the torque lowered. On government tests a lone driver will probably ease it around the test track. When one of these weedy cars is stuffed with seven typical British fatties it will be foot to the floor to even get any motion at all and the economy will be more like 60 gallons to the mile! dissapointment awaits.

Apprentice, you made me laugh with the image of seven Brit fatties.... Nice one. Given that the average male adult in UK must weigh the wrong side of 80 kilos, sticking him and only three of his lardy mates in would be approaching the exceeding of the payload of most Fiesta and Focus class cars. It'll be 'eco' but the sodding suspension will collapse.

The Apprentice:

When one of these weedy cars is stuffed with seven typical British fatties it will be foot to the floor to even get any motion at all and the economy will be more like 60 gallons to the mile! dissapointment awaits.

Reminds me of the test Clarkson did on Top Gear with the BMW M3 and the Toyota Prius.  For those that didn't see it the Prius driver lapped the test track as quick as it could and the M3 followed in its tracks at the same speed.  Fuel consumption figures were taken from both cars at the end of the run.....

The result, the M3 was more economical.

The best eco device we have is our right foot!

Autocar:

it was introduced in 1995 and sold 3855 examples in the UK in 2007, but it’s not due for replacement until 2010

Can't believe that is is the same age as MG F/TF... Old new cars must be the "must have" for 2008!

it will be 2010 by the time it gets to 60mph! imagine 6 chubby kids pressed against the steamed up windows, it would be more eco if they squeezed the oil out of the crisps, bags of chips and Big Macs on board and used that as bio fuel!

Actually this horseless carriage (to use its launch title) will no doubt be a welcome addition to the minicabbers arsenal, is puke resistant carpet on the options?