Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion concept car

Along with the new Golf and new Golf GTI, Volkswagen has unveiled the latest BlueMotion model at the Paris Motor Show.

It promises 88.3mpg and 85g/km CO2 emissions. VW claims these figures will make it 15 per cent more efficient than the outgoing BlueMotion Golf and, with a 50-litre fuel tank, gives the car a theoretical range of around 970 miles.

Although officially a concept, the new Golf BlueMotion is expected to return very similar figures when it goes on sale in the UK in the middle of 2013 – seven months after order books for the VW Golf Mk7 open in mid-October. First deliveries will take place in early January.

Not counting early images of the Golf GTI concept, leaked earlier today, this is the first time we've seen the Golf in a sportier three-door bodystyle. Unlike the Audi A3 and A3 Sportback, the three and five-door versions are the same length, although the five-door weighs around 70kg more. Both the three and five-door models will go on sale at the same time, with the five-door costing roughly £600 more.

In the metal, the three-door certainly cuts a more dynamic shape than the five-door, with more prominent creases running down the sides. Head and legroom in the back are generous, too, although getting back there is slightly trickier. 

Key to the BlueMotion's improved fuel efficiency is a newly developed 1.6-litre diesel engine. It develops 108bhp and 250Nm of torque and incorporates a host of fuel-saving technology, including stop-start, reduced internal friction and on-demand activation of secondary pumps.

VW has also managed to improve the Golf’s aerodynamic efficiency by 10 per cent, by lowering the suspension by 15mm and adding an enhanced bodykit.

The 0.27cd drag figure also helps the Golf BlueMotion slip through the air up to a 126mph top speed. The new Golf BlueMotion is also 63kg lighter than the previous car.

As with previous BlueMotion models, the new Golf comes with a five-speed gearbox with longer ratios for lower engine revs and low-rolling-resistance tyres.

The BlueMotion also has a more extensive Comfortline trim. This features 16-inch alloys, front and rear parking sensors, an exclusive insrument cluster, sliding drawers under the rear seats, a new Composition touch radio system and fatigue detection. 

This new Golf BlueMotion concept is the third-generation Golf BlueMotion model. The first, which arrived in late 2007, returned 62.8mpg and emitted 119g/km of CO2. The second model arrived two years later, improving the figures to 74.3mpg and 99g/km.