NAIAS Coverage - Passat BlueMotion Concept

The North American International Auto Show opened this week in Detroit, MI. NAIAS is one of the biggest auto shows in North America, where manufacturers like to do their big unveilings of concepts and what’s to come. This is no different for Volkswagen, who unveiled 3 vehicles this week to North America. This included the mk7 Golf R, Beetle Dune Concept, and the Passat BlueMotion Concept. Although the Golf R is the only vehicle of the three that’s a production model, both concepts have potential, especially the technology for the Passat BlueMotion Concept. 

What is the Passat BlueMotion Concept? Is it a hybrid? A diesel? Neither! The concept is a purely gasoline engined mid-size sedan that achieves similar fuel economy as a Passat TDI. This makes makes us wonder, “How is this possible?”

The Passat BlueMotion Concept comes equipped with a 1.4L TSI engine with turbocharging and direct injection. The 1.4L TSI engine delivers 150 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. Along with this, Volkswagen used a technology called Active Cylinder Management (ACT). Seen in certain VW European models like the Polo, ACT deactivates the valvetrain on cylinders two and three when drivers are using light throttle. This technology has also been seen in v8 engines, to make those bigger engines produce better fuel economy.

In addition to ACT, the Passat BlueMotion has a start/stop and coasting system, which can also be found in the Jetta Hybrid. With the start/stop system, when the vehicle comes to a temporary stop, the engine shuts off. The moment the driver releases the brake, the 1.4L engine starts back up again. When the driver releases the accelerator, the coasting system kicks in and decouples the engine, allowing the vehicle to roll with lowest possible drag. Combining all this technology results in a manufacturer estimated highway fuel economy rating of 42 mpg. The Passat TDI is estimated to achieve 40 mpg as a DSG, and 43 as a manual. Talk about incredible.

On the inside, the Passat BlueMotion has beautiful two toned seats. The darker and lighter leather are separated by a blue dividing line to distinguish itself as a member of the BlueMotion family. BlueMotion vehicles have been rolling off Volkswagen assembly lines since 2006. The vehicles that are included in this family are some of the most fuel-efficient vehicles in Volkswagen’s global market. 

We don’t know for sure whether this will become a production model, or when the ACT technology will be carried on into other models in the U.S. market. What we do know is that the Reef Blue Metallic color that the Passat BlueMotion Concept debuted in will become a color option for other Passat models in the near future. Woo hoo!

Stay tuned for more NAIAS coverage. In the meantime, tweet us @stohlmanauto with any questions and comments!


Esther Cho
Volkwagen Product Specialist
@esther_ch5