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January 11, 2010
 Volkswagen New Compact Coupe concept. Click image to enlarge |
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Volkswagen New Compact Coupe concept
Detroit, Michigan – It may be a hybrid, but that doesn’t mean it’s boring: that’s the message Volkswagen emphasized to journalists this morning at the world premiere of the compact Volkswagen New Compact Coupe (NCC).
Powered by a turbocharged 148-hp 1.4-litre direct-injection gasoline engine and electric motor connected to a seven-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG), the front-wheel drive VW NCC will offer a 0 to 100 km/h time of 8.6 seconds and a top speed of 227 km/h, said the company. Combined fuel consumption will be just 4.2 L/100 km with CO2 emissions of just 98 g/km.
The stylish, four-passenger NCC is a full hybrid, meaning that it can run on electric power alone under certain conditions. In electric mode, the engine is not only shut off; it is also disengaged by a clutch to avoid drag loss. As soon as the driver releases the gas pedal, the engine is disengaged from the transmission. This so-called “coast-down” is even possible at higher speeds, as in freeway driving, leading directly to reduced fuel consumption.
When braking, the electric motor – now operating as a generator – recovers kinetic energy which is then stored in the lithium-ion battery. The New Compact Coupe also has a Stop-Start system to further reduce fuel consumption, especially in urban areas and in stop-and-go traffic.
The Volkswagen New Compact Coupe is 4.54 metres (178.5 inches) long and 1.78 metres (70.1 inches) wide with a height of 1.41 metres (55.6 inches) and a wheelbase of 2.65 metres / 104.4 inches).
Volkswagen did not announce any plans for production of the NCC, but the company did announce that it will introduce its first hybrid model – an SUV with full-time all-wheel drive – in the first half of this year.
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