There’s a school of thought that says small-capacity petrol engines have a major part to play in reducing emissions.
VW?is a pioneer, and we’ve sampled the new sixth-generation Golf with the 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine.
Producing 122PS, the engine is in a lower BIK band than the 2.0-litre 110PS diesel thanks to diesel’s 3% penalty, and it’s £945 cheaper, yet 1.2secs quicker to 60mph.
VW admits one of the biggest challenges is convincing drivers it’s not a step backwards, as engine size has been a status symbol. But it doesn’t take many metres to realise what a good engine this is. Drivers won’t complain about refinement, performance or costs.
The 1.4 TSI costs companies 37.2p per mile to run, nearly 2p per mile more than the 110PS diesel thanks to slightly inferior RVs. But drivers will pay less tax and possibly be happier with the car, which is certainly worth something.
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