Volkswagen

VW Polo and Golf exempt from Congestion Charge

5 January 2011 - Not only are the highly efficient Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion and Golf BlueMotion models exempt from road tax but, as of this week, they are also exempt from the London Congestion Charge. Under changes made to the rules governing the London Congestion Charge, vehicles emitting less than 100 g/km of CO2 are no longer required to pay the £10 daily charge to enter the Congestion Charge Zone. The Polo BlueMotion (91 g/km) and Golf BlueMotion (99 g/km) both fit this criterion, allowing owners to save potentially over £2,500 a year based on a daily commute into the capital.

All BlueMotion variants feature a series of subtle yet modifications aimed at maximising efficiency. These take the form of optimised aerodynamics, low rolling resistance tyres, Start/Stop, battery regeneration and longer gearing. The result is less strain is put on the common rail diesel engine, which in turn leads to lower emissions and greater economy.

The effectiveness of these changes was proved last year when a BlueMotion vehicle broke the Guinness World Record for the longest distance travelled on a single tank of fuel. A Passat BlueMotion travelled a total of 1,527 miles (the equivalent of London to Gibraltar) between fill-ups to set the record.

Despite the keen focus on economy, both the Polo and Golf BlueMotion models are equipped with alloy wheels, air conditioning, a CD/stereo system, electric windows, Hydraulic Brake Assist and ABS as well as driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags and, on the Golf, a knee airbag.