VW unveils fun and frugal Concept BlueSport

Forget your Cadillac Converj, Ford's truckloads of hybrids or even the smartly-styled Chrysler 200C electric vehicle concept. The car that punched above its weight to lift the air of doom in Detroit was Volkswagen's Concept BlueSport.

Until the German company pulled the wraps off the diesel-powered convertible, everyone was looking squarely down the barrel of a future that was electric.

Sure, the other car companies are perhaps looking further ahead and maybe GM is right to promote a vehicle like the Cadillac, one that is testament to having your rich cake without necessarily baking the planet.

But VW sailed against the wind on this one. Having already led the eco charge at recent motor shows, Volkswagen has introduced a concept that places some emphasis on driving enjoyment as well.

The concept revealed at the North American International Auto Show was finished in 'Flex Silver' with an orange fabric top and features a transversely-mounted engine behind the cabin, driving to the rear wheels.

Capable of reaching a claimed top speed of 226km/h, but using just 4.3L/100km of fuel in standard combined-cycle testing, the Concept BlueSport is powered by a 132kW 'clean' diesel driving through a six-speed DSG transmission and utilises conventional eco-friendly ideas like auto-stop/start, regenerative braking and lightweight construction (kerb weight for the Concept BlueSport is just 1200kg).

Peak torque for the turbodiesel is 350Nm, arriving from 1750rpm and further evidence of the concept car's split personality comes with the 113g/km CO2 emissions and 6.2-second 0-100km/h acceleration figures. Volkswagen anticipates that a hypothetical production version could also be powered by a TSI petrol engine.

Blue, green or half-way in between, the concept car attracted as much attention as it did on the first media day in Detroit for its looks.

"The design of the Concept BlueSport," says Klaus Bischoff, Director of Design for the Volkswagen Brand, "represents a perfect synthesis of technology and aesthetics. Its form is very clear and is reduced to essentials; the car body itself has a lean and linear structure."

Shorter than the Scirocco but wider than the Polo, the eco-sports car concept rides around on 19-inch alloy wheels to convey a presence that goes way beyond being good for the environment.

Furthermore, it's the first taste of VW's new design direction for future models; what Volkswagen calls its 'design DNA'. Formulated jointly by the team of Walter de Silva, Flavio Manzoni and Bischoff (the first two being, respectively, the Director of Design for the Volkswagen Group and the Director of Creative Design for Volkswagen AG), the new family look is described as a "reinterpretation" of themes from the Golf VI and Scirocco.

So Volkswagen is promoting the Concept BlueSport as a paradigm for future models, but it looks way too close to production-ready to be just that. If the crowds around the car at Detroit are anything to go by -- even late in the afternoon -- there'll be no shortage of buyers.