VW launches bi-fuel Golf

The sixth-generation VW Golf is not yet on sale in the UK, yet Volkswagen has revealed a new production-ready version that can run on LPG.

Unveiled yesterday at the Bologna Motor Show in Italy, the Golf BiFuel is a factory produced model, which has undergone strict durability and crash testing - unlike aftermarket conversions.

At the heart of the new Golf BiFuel is a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 97bhp, though it has been specifically developed to accept LPG operation.

In petrol mode, economy of 39.8mpg is quoted, with 149g/km of CO₂, while emissions drop ten per cent when running on LPG.

On LPG alone, the Golf should be capable of travelling up to 260-miles.

Plans to introduce the new BiFuel Golf to Britain have yet to be announced, as LPG has not had as much success here as it has in other European countries.

In Bologna, VW also took the wraps off a significantly updated Golf Plus and a design study based on the Scirocco coupé.

Shane O' Donoghue