[Vwdiesel] Project Bondo Golfy-fuel mileage 1.6L NA Golf??

Mon Nov 22 07:26:40 EST 2004

Interesting historic article here.  The A4s have a Cd of 0.30 or 0.31.

Dana

<http://www.totallyvw.com/vw/vwarticles/jetta/jetta-article-4354.html>     

Golf, Jetta much improved and, with them, VWA's hopes
December 1, 1984 
Ward's Auto World 

LEXINGTON, OH -- Along the back roads from Akron to this small central Ohio 
town, you may find the going slow over a 30-mile (48-km) stretch called 
Amish Country.

Steep hills and sweeping curves prove a good test for Volkswagen of America 
Inc.'s lively new 1985 hatchback Golf and notchback Jetta, but you must 
share the highway with black, horse-drawn carriages piloted by bearded 
Amish men in their traditional broad-brimmed black hats. That effectively 
keeps speedsters in check.

Upon arrival at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course outside Lexington, however, 
the real tests begin. Whether traversing a tricky slalom or speeding on the 
open track, Golf and Jetta prove they hardly are throwbacks to the horse-
and-buggy era, despite widespread criticism that they look like their 
predecessors.

They're longer, wider, faster and far superior in road-handling and 
amenities than the models they replace. Jetta, its name carried over, 
continues to be produced in West Germany. Golf (named for the Gulf stream, 
not the game) replaces the U.S. Rabbit.

The latter is in production at VWA's Westmoreland, PA, plant, which this 
year underwent a $200-million modernization to gear up for the new car. 
With plenty of excess capacity, it's likely VWA also eventually will 
produce Jettas at Westmoreland.

VWA parent Volkswagenwerk AG, which introduced the revamped Golf in Europe 
a year ago and already has built 900,000 there, is aware that finicky U.S. 
car buyers generally are persuaded far more by styling than technical and 
handling improvements.

Still, VW was conservative in designing the new models. Wolfgang Lincke, 
who heads VW passenger-car development at headquarters in Wolfsburg, West 
Germany, explains:

"When we started work (on the two new models, which share basic components) 
in 1978, we were well aware we had a terrible task ahead of us. We had lost 
Beetle customers when we changed to Golf (Rabbit) in 1974. The technical 
side was easy; we already had front-wheel-drive, but it was not so easy for 
our stylists for several reasons."

First, the old Golf was successful (more than five million were built, 
including almost 900,000 Rabbits at Westmoreland), and it was widely 
copied, attesting to its sound design. "We felt we should never change a 
winner," says Dr. Lincke. "Secondly, it was a functional piece of 
engineering. It's hard to replace a functional car that looks much 
different. And we wanted continuity with our old customers."

Customers' main criticism of Golf/Rabbit -- and Jetta for that matter -- 
focused on tight interior space. But over the years, VW had improved ride, 
handling and comfort levels. In redesigning the cars, VW increased Golf's 
interior volume 12% and Jetta's 14%. Elbow room was stretched 3.5 ins. (189 
mm) up front and 4.4 ins. (112 mm) in the rear, upsizing both cars to the 
Environmental Protection Agency's compact class.

The newcomers also feature many other improvements. Aerodynamic touches -- 
rounder sheet metal, air dams and underbody deflectors -- improve Jetta's 
drag coefficient from .43 to .36 and Golf's from .42 to .35. Engine and 
transmission mounts contain silicone dampening fluid to reduce vibration 
and noise.

Jetta's trunk space has 25% more room, and Golf's rear cargo area is 
enlarged 30%. Both cars have new injection-molded, 14.5-gal. (54.9L) 
plastic fuel tanks that VW maintains are lighter and stronger than steel 
and, of course, are corrosion-free.

Base engine in both models, as before, is VW's 1.6L 4-cyl. diesel producing 
52 hp at 4,800 rpm. Optional in each is VW's new 1.8L electronically fuel-
injected gasoline 4-banger that produces 85 hp at 5,250 rpm. A turbo 
version of the 1.6L diesel also is offered in Jetta that generates 68 hp at 
4,500 rpm.

The new 1.8L, mated to 5-speed manual gearbox, propels Jetta 0-60 mph (97 
kmh) in 10.5 seconds and Golf in 10.3 seconds. Jetta's top speed is 106 mph 
(171 kmh); Golf's is 107 mph (171 kmh).

Although somewhat larger than their subcompact predecessors, neither car 
loses much fuel economy. Both, with 5-speed, achieve 38 mpg (6.2L/100 km) 
city with the 1.6L diesel under EPA's downwardly adjusted '85-model fuel-
economy calculations. Turbodiesel Jetta gets 37 mpg (6.4L/100 km) city, 42 
mpg (5.6L/100 km) highway, also with manual transmission.

The 1.8L, with 5-speed gearbox, gets 27 mpg (8.7L/100 km) city, 34 mpg 
(6.9L/100 km) highway. Using the automatic, the gas engine achieves 24/27 
mpg (10.2/8.7L/100 km).

VWA is riding on West Germany's reputation for engineering excellence in 
marketing the new cars against strong U.S. and Japanese competition. VWA 
executives from President Noel Phillips down emphasize Golf will not be 
"Americanized," as was Rabbit. Rather, it will come off the line as close 
to the Wolfsburg version as possible.

Mr. Phillips forecasts 100,000 Golf sales in '85 -- about the same as 
Rabbit recorded in the '84 model year. But he looks for Jetta sales to 
double, reaching 100,000, too, in line with growing demand in the upscale-
compact segment. VWA has a contingency plan to build Jetta at Westmoreland, 
where Golf's 100,000-unit annual production by itself is "not economic," 
says Mr. Phillips.

VWA is waging its largest advertising launch campaign in history through 
year's end, using enthusiast magazines, network television, direct mail and 
telemarketing, says VW Div. Vice President James R. Fuller. "Jetta is in a 
segment all by itself," he maintains, noting it's the only German-built 4-
door notchback priced under $10,000.

Waiting in the wings for late-February introduction is VWA's new GTI, a 
high-performance Golf spinoff that would find "Amish Country" touring a bit 
frustrating, to say the least.