Currently reading: Paris motor show 2012: Greenpeace activists target Golf launch
Greenpeace activists unfurled banners and let off balloons during the launch of the new Golf Bluemotion

Greenpeace has targeted the unveiling the new Volkswagen Golf at today's Paris motor show.

During the presentation of the new Golf Bluemotion version, activists scaled the lighting rigs above Volkswagen's stand and unfurled a large yellow banner reading "You are polluting us" in front of the screen displaying VW R&D chief Ulrich Hackenberg's presentation.

Greenpeace activists also let off balloons among the large crowd of assembled journalists.

The protesters were quickly removed, but not before a VW spokesman took to the stage to sarcastically comment: "The Golf is the most economical and efficient car in its class and we're delighted Greenpeace are here to recognise our work with their comments on our products and technology."

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Mark Tisshaw

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Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

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catnip 28 September 2012

Is this protest about the

Is this protest about the activities of VW as a company, or the particular models it makes?

On a different note, nice to see that VW had to back down in its argument with Suzuki over the GTI label..

greedymotion 27 September 2012

Yes nearly 3 years of Misery,

Yes nearly 3 years of Misery, The horrible 1.6 to be precise of which has been back to the Dealers for nearly a week, I know the service Manager by His 1st name and have had the Bloody Awful 1.2 Bluemotion Polo, which I managed to make the glow plug light flash and also the engine management light, all because roadwork's restricted the speed to 50mph which these VW engines cannot cope with in 5th gear when any normal car can!

Engage, you sound like a VW salesman.

coxy 27 September 2012

Yes nearly 3 years of Misery

Greedymotion, it sounds to me that you need to learn to drive the car properly then!! i have been driving these two models both the Polo and the Golf and i have been able to get within 4mpg of the claimed consumption! I don't call one week in the dealer in 3 years misery its just a little bit unlucky.

greedymotion 27 September 2012

coxy wrote:Greedymotion, it

coxy wrote:

Greedymotion, it sounds to me that you need to learn to drive the car properly then!! i have been driving these two models both the Polo and the Golf and i have been able to get within 4mpg of the claimed consumption! I don't call one week in the dealer in 3 years misery its just a little bit unlucky.

Hmm Was waiting for the "Well Mine has Been Ok, so it must be your Driving..."   If yours works I am Happy for you, you are one of the lucky ones, Is yours an early version with the Dodgy Common Rail Maker "MOTORENTEILE" (Later versions have the Maker name removed due to complaints, they now just have a Bar Code so pot luck what you get, Check yours by pulling off the Plastic engine cover.

We have lost count the number of ECU updates this has had and in all the years of buying Diesels have never been to Dealers as much as this. The Service Manager had a page full of the Updates and admitted VW are still working on related problems.

As for my Driving we also have mk 4 golf basic 90 bhp, which we do the same journeys every week and regularly get over 20 mpg more, I remember when our Mk4 was new and the constant B"tching toward VW but we were lucky that time, It still plods on nearly 12 years later, However the new item our Luck has ran out.

 

Citytiger 28 September 2012

greedymotion wrote:  I know

greedymotion wrote:

 I know the service Manager by His 1st name

I drive a 57 plate Volvo S80 D5 Auto, thats has been totally faultless since I bought it new, and apart from regular servicing and MOT I never visit them, I know the service managers first name,  he also knows mine but never uses it, and always asks after my family, but then again the dealers I use "Riverside Volvo" have won numerous awards and have been Volvo dealer of the year about 3 years of the last 5, and no I am not connected with the company in any way but appreciate good service. I am fortunate that my dealer cares about customer relations and not just sales..(they also price match any genuine like for like quote and my latest MOT (in August ) cost £27.43... 

greedymotion 27 September 2012

If you own one of these

If you own one of these supposedly economical Stupid Motion then you would know just how many Gallons Per Mile they use! up to 900 miles on a full tank my A*se, Well done Green Pease for highlighting VW Propaganda Lies ! 

EngageSportMode 27 September 2012

greedymotion wrote: If you

greedymotion wrote:

If you own one of these supposedly economical Stupid Motion then you would know just how many Gallons Per Mile they use! up to 900 miles on a full tank my A*se, Well done Green Pease for highlighting VW Propaganda Lies ! 

Out of interest, do you own a Bluemotion product?

Or, are you just another one of those people who thinks they're "saving the world" by posting anti-VW spam on message boards, Facebook, Twitter etc? I can tell you now; it's not working.