Consumption 1.4 and 1.2 TDI ‘3L’ under the microscope
Yes, once again an ‘oldie’ makes an appearance in this section. A compact German that was available from 1998 to 2005 and that you can consider as the grandfather of the Volkswagen Up. Indeed, we are looking at the Volkswagen Lupo. Not only to the petrol models, but also to the special and ultra-efficient ‘3L’.
With the Lupo, Volkswagen placed a model under the Polo for the first time. The A-segment was not as popular at the time as it was later, so ‘only’ 17,579 copies found an owner in the Netherlands. Unlike the current A-segment, consumers had plenty of choice from different four-cylinder engines. There was a 1.0, four variants of the 1.4 and even a GTI with a 1.6-liter petrol engine. The diesel choice was also great with a real 1.7 SDI, 1.4 TDI and of course the famous 1.2 TDI ‘3L’. The last two power sources are three-cylinders.
Consumption Lupo 1.4
The Volkswagen Lupo was available with four 1.4 variants with power ratings from 60 hp for the eight-valve to 105 hp for the 1.4 FSI. The latter does not appear in the AutoWeek Consumption Monitor, we mainly see variants with 60 and 75 hp. The average consumption recorded by drivers of these Lupo 1.4s is exactly 1 in 15.1 (6.6 l/100 km). Whether an engine has eight or sixteen valves seems to have little or no influence on consumption, the cars alternate neatly in our list.
The most economical petrol Lupo is a 1.4 eight-valve, with which the owner achieved an average consumption of 1 in 18.4 (5.4 l/100 km) over more than 13,000 kilometers. The least economical value was achieved by a 1.4 16V with 75 hp. Consumption was monitored over an equally long period. The result is a solid 1 in 11.5 (8.7 l/100 km).
Three-liter diesel: Lupo 3L 1.2 TDI
The above values ​​are certainly not earth-shattering. To create such a shock, Volkswagen introduced the Lupo 3L, with the well-known three-liter diesel. Indeed, a 1.2 TDI with which an average consumption of 3 l/100 km (1 in 33.3) had to be achieved.
To get straight to the point: the drivers in our Consumption Monitor do not achieve this. The counter remains stuck at a paltry 1 in 29.7 (3.36 l/100 km). Although the car does not achieve its magical promise, in absolute terms this is of course incredibly low consumption. Volkswagen did not take any half measures and made the Lupo 3L no less than 150 kg lighter than a normal Lupo.
Yet there are also drivers who manage to exceed Volkswagen’s promise. The best consumption value is 1 in 37 (2.7 l/100 km), achieved by a driver who clearly wanted to get the most out of it for a short time and then stopped measuring. That it is structurally possible to achieve 1 in 35.6 (2.81 l/100 km) is proven by this Lupo driver, who lasted no less than 55,184 kilometers. The unfavorable diesel consumption determined over a longer distance is 1 in 27.5 (3.63 l/100 km). Pure waste, of course.
You cannot simply say that the Volkswagen Lupo is economical. With the regular 1.4s it even performs less well than a Peugeot 205. On the other hand, the 3L, which shows unparalleled consumption values. With the later Volkswagen Up, the Germans show that they can indeed make compact, economical petrol cars.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl