Volkswagen BORA TDI 100
You May Have A Sense Of Déjà Vu With The
Volkswagen Bora TDI 100. Andy Enright Explains
The 90bhp Bora TDI is dead, long live the Bora TDI 100. Its easy to be a little cynical about Volkswagens constant game of musical chairs with their diesel engines. The 100bhp diesel that powers this Bora was dropped from the range when a slightly more powerful engine was introduced as the TDI mid ranger, but its back again, this time playing the role of entry-level TDI diesel as the range gets ever more powerful. Not to worry, its a good engine fitted to a very good car.
In theory, Volkswagen's diesel engines are a generation behind the 'common rail' units now being offered by some rivals. In practice however, its cars remain amongst the class leaders. Take the Bora featured here. The previous 90bhp unit was a respectable engine in its own right, if slightly lacking in the sort of torque that attracts drivers to diesel cars in the first place.
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The 100bhp engine which replaced it delivers a creamy slug of pulling power across a broad swathe of the rev band. Flat out, the 100bhp Bora TDI is good for 117mph with rest to sixty in 11.3 seconds, yet at the same time users should record an average fuel figure that will often exceed 50mpg. The performance figures may sound impressive on paper but on the road the Bora feels even quicker.
Because of a generous 210Nm of torque, the pulling power makes overtaking as easy as it is in most warm-hatchbacks you care to mention. The five-speed gearbox fitted as standard is occasionally obstructive, and there is a better alternative. Customers looking to combine the engines high-torque performance with maximum comfort can go for the option of a five-speed auto box with manually selectable Tiptronic function. Small wonder that this diesel sells well to enthusiast drivers.
130 and 150bhp TDI engines are also available.
"The engine is quieter than even the range-topping 150bhp variant."
Weve never really warmed to the Bora in this country, despite its more aggressive pricing compared to the mkIV Golf on which it is based. The Jetta and the Vento before it both sold slowly and despite the fact that the Bora is probably a better looking car than its hatchback cousin was, it seems we cant get the hang of a Golf with a boot. As such, the belief that Volkswagens are expensive cars is certainly questionable when the entry level Bora TDI 100 weighs in at just £14,990. If youre interested in silent running, youll note that the TDI engine isnt the quietest on the road, but then its no worse than the latest TDCi diesel from
Ford.
To be fair, the problem isnt too bad when youre barrelling along an open road. It's only at idling speeds that
Volkswagen still has a little more work to do. It would be easy to say that this is a legacy of the Volkswagen Group decision we mentioned earlier - to delay its switch to 'common rail' technology until the second generation of those engines appears in a few years time. The older approach is supposed to be noisier - though to be fair, not many of the common rail units we've tried have been much quieter than those you'll find in the Bora. The engine is quieter than even the range-topping 150bhp variant. The Bora diesel engines work on the basis of so-called direct injection, a system intended to make better use of every drop of diesel. The injectors on all four cylinders are controlled by a single powerful electronic control unit (ECU) which carefully controls the amount and mixture of fuel passing through into each cylinder.
For engineers, the obvious next step is for each cylinder to have its own ECU unit; the fuel amount and mixture can then be even more carefully monitored and even greater efficiency achieved. This is the basic concept behind the new 'second generation' of 'common rail' diesels the one Volkswagen says it's developing in its own time. That cavernous boot ensures the Bora is far more practical than many small saloons. A nine-inch advantage in length over the mkIV Golf gives it one obvious advantage - load space. Luggage capacity is an impressive 16cu ft - almost 50 percent more than a mkIV Golf.
With the back seats folded, this rises to a cavernous 28cu ft - enough for three or four sets of golf clubs or anything else you may need to carry around. Rear
seat passengers may grumble, and with some justification, that the boot impinges on their legroom. The SE model features remote central locking, an automatic dimming rear view mirror, a windscreen wiper rain sensor, a trip computer, 16-inch wheels and an alarm. If thats not enough, optional extras include a satellite navigation system and electrically adjustable seats with memory facility.
The depth of thought thats gone into the cabin design is massively impressive. Cup holders in the front and the rear, the self-dimming interior lights, the gas struts to hold up the bonnet, the special cover on the boot locking pin so you dont get things caught in it; I could go on but I wont save to say that this is a car that makes its competitors feel cheap. A car that will please those with an eye for thoroughness and attention to detail. Like all VW products, it displays a depth of quality and engineering insight that makes many rivals feel decidedly jerrybuilt.
Whilst the range-topping 150bhp variant accounts for more column inches, the Bora TDI 100 is making a bigger impact with British buyers. Volkswagens idiosyncratic product management policy may confuse many when it comes to understanding what diesel engines are offered with which models, but the bottom line is simple. The Bora TDI 100 may reside at the bottom of the range but its the top target for those looking for a bargain Volkswagen, two words that dont appear together quite as often as wed like
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Volkswagen Bora TDI 100bhp
PRICES: £14,990 - £16,825 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-8
CO2 EMISSIONS: 143g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 117mph / 0-60mph 11.3s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 55mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags / ABS / Side airbags / ESP
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4376/1446/2018mm
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