Latest Octavia Greenline improves on already impressive figures,

• Powered by 1.6-litre TDI CR 110PS diesel engine
• BiK rating of 13% for business user appeal
• Priced £20,150 on the road

ŠKODA has revealed the latest addition to its critically acclaimed GreenLine fleet of environmentally advanced cars – the Octavia hatch GreenLine.

Powered by an ultra-efficient 1.6-litre TDI CR 110PS diesel engine, the resulting performance figures are impressive. Combined Cycle fuel consumption is as high as 88.3 mpg while CO2 emissions are just 85g/km.

ŠKODA’s GreenLine models are hugely popular with company car drivers and the new Octavia will be no exception. A BiK rating of 13% for 2014 and VED Band A status means running costs will be kept to an absolute minimum.

Like every third-generation Octavia, the GreenLine hatchback comes with classic-yet-contemporary looks and a host of ‘Simply Clever’ solutions. But it’s also packed with eco-technologies, including low rolling resistance tyres fitted to 16-inch ‘Velorum’ alloy wheels, which are unique for the GreenLine model. These are inflated to a higher pressure than normal tyres to reduce friction with the road.

The new car also features the Start-Stop system which is standard across the Octavia range, automatically switching off the engine when the car is paused, for example, at traffic lights. In addition, energy normally lost during braking is recovered and used for battery recharging.

The new model benefits from cornering front fog lights as standard. GreenLine badging on the front grille and rear hatchback mark the car out from the crowd, while inside there is a GreenLine logo on the gearstick.

The ŠKODA Octavia GreenLine is on sale now priced £20,150.

VW Golf records near 100mpg run on normal road conditions

• New Volkswagen Golf TDI BlueMotion uses less than three litres per 100 kilometres on the “Think Blue. Eco Ride.”
• 1,602 kilometres – from Nantes to Copenhagen without refuelling
• DEKRA-supervised test value shows: actual consumption figures below the standard value are possible

On a DEKRA-supervised test run, the Volkswagen Golf TDI BlueMotion has proved itself to be a real three-litre car. On the trip from Nantes to Copenhagen, the Golf with the 110 PS TDI engine used only 2.92 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres (equivalent to 97 mpg). The distance between the two cities – 1,602 kilometres (995 miles) – was completed on a single 50 litre tank of fuel.

Simon Thomas, Head of Marketing of the Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand: “This is a really impressive result. The trip shows that the interaction between fuel-saving BlueMotion efficiency technology and a well thought-out proactive driving approach allows economy figures that are hard to match.”

The highly varied route of the trip went from Nantes in the West of France, the “European Green Capital 2013”, via Paris, Antwerp, Bremen and Hamburg to the Danish capital Copenhagen, situated on the Baltic, “European Green Capital 2014”. The “Think Blue. Eco Ride.” shows that the standard consumption figure based on the NEDC driving cycle, which is already extremely low at 3.2 litres per 100 kilometres (88.3 mpg) and 85 grams of CO2 per kilometre, can even be beaten. Drivers from the Volkswagen Driving Experience succeeded in reaching a verified value of 2.92 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres in normal traffic over a driving time of 20 hours and 45 minutes. The standard 50-litre tank was filled in Nantes, where it was sealed by a DEKRA inspector. At the end of the trip, 46.92 litres of diesel were filled into the same tank under the supervision of the same inspector.

The Golf TDI BlueMotion is one of the technical highlights of the Golf family. Like all the other Golf models, it has a standard start-stop system and regenerative braking mode. In addition, the perfected aerodynamics, the low weight of the vehicle, the modified six-speed manual gearbox and especially the tires, which have been optimised for low rolling resistance, contribute to the high efficiency of the Golf TDI BlueMotion.

“Think Blue.” Is the internationally-based holistic environmental sustainability strategy of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand. The initiative includes innovative, environmentally compatible products with various powertrain technologies and is intended to encourage people to rethink and join in. Simon Thomas: “Through ‘Think Blue.’, we show that low consumption driving can be combined with driving pleasure. This is why Volkswagen offers fuel saving training in a number of countries, for example ‘Think Blue. Ecotraining’ in cooperation with ‘Naturschutzbund Deutschland in Germany.’”

* 96.74 mpg – converted from 2.92 l/100 km

Latest Leon from SEAT to be the most eco friendly ever

• SEAT Leon Ecomotive is the company’s most extreme environmental performer ever
• Order books now open in the UK for the 87 g/km, 85.6 mpg diesel-sipper
• Priced from £19,360 RRP OTR, with first UK deliveries during January 2014
• Big specification includes alloy wheels, air conditioning and a unique Ecomotive aero pack
• Eligible for SEAT’s Q4 free Technology Pack offer and 4.9% APR PCP finance 

SEAT this month opened the order books on the most extreme production Leon ever – extreme in the environmental efficiency sense. The SEAT Leon Ecomotive is, with a CO2 rating of just 87 g/km, the most CO2-averse conventionally-powered car that SEAT has ever produced.

Launched officially at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show alongside the new Leon ST estate, the Leon Ecomotive is available in all three body styles (SC, five-door and ST) and is priced from just £19,360 RRP OTR.

That outlay buys a three-door Leon SC Ecomotive, but all three versions return the same incredible 85.6 mpg combined fuel consumption. The 87 g/km CO2 figure puts the car into VED Band A, so the tax disc costs exactly nothing per year.

The car’s CO2 emissions figure is a full 12 g/km lower than that of the outgoing, second-generation Leon Ecomotive, despite being more powerful. This is accomplished most notably via a 90 kg weight reduction and a 10% improvement in aerodynamic efficiency.

Power comes from a 1.6-litre TDI diesel engine, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox whose ratios are spaced for optimum efficiency; the transmission is a fundamental difference between the Leon Ecomotive and the standard Leon 1.6 TDI, which itself emits a very modest 99 g/km, equipped with a five-speed manual gearbox.

Other changes over the standard Leon 1.6 TDI include a higher engine output, up from 105 PS to 110 PS, and the fitment of low rolling resistance tyres. To improve aerodynamic performance there’s a body package comprising rear and side spoilers, and the suspension is lowered by 15 mm, while the radiator grille is unique to the Ecomotive. These changes help the Leon Ecomotive travel 11.3 miles further per gallon of fuel than the standard Leon 1.6 TDI, according to their respective combined consumption ratings.

As with every other model in the Leon range, the Leon Ecomotive comes with an Energy Recovery System and a Start/Stop System, the former to capture and store brake energy otherwise lost as heat, which can be used to power electrical systems, and the latter to shut down the engine when the car is at a standstill, preserving fuel.

The Leon Ecomotive doesn’t scrimp on equipment like it does on fuel, thankfully, coming as standard with 16-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights with cornering function, cruise control, a leather steering wheel and gear knob, air conditioning, electric windows all around (aside from SC versions), Bluetooth hands-free phone system, SEAT Easy Connect multimedia system, and a front armrest/storage box; the Leon Ecomotive is based on SE specification.

And until at least the end of 2013, the Leon Ecomotive is eligible for SEAT’s free Technology Pack offer, which endows the car with cutting edge full-LED headlights (including their distinctive strip-LED daytime running lights), satellite navigation and a DAB radio – so every medium-wave radio talk show rant can be enjoyed in crystal clear digital quality.

Steve Mirfin, SEAT UK’s Leon Product Manager, says: “This Leon Ecomotive really moves the game forward for us. Not only is it a lot more efficient than the outgoing car, it’s one of the most efficient medium-sized cars on the market and offers outstanding fuel economy.

“We benchmarked the car against the most popular models in the segment to make sure we’re right at the cutting edge on real-world fuel economy, but also on value, performance and quality. And with the Ecomotive available in all three Leon body styles, its appeal extends to a huge customer base – not least the fleet market, where practicality and running costs are paramount.”

First deliveries of the Leon Ecomotive begin January 2014, priced at £19,360 for the SC, £19,660 for the five-door and £20,485 for the ST.