ROADTEST VW TRANSPORTER CATALYST
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N Make no mistake, the environment is the issue of the '90s. The need to reduce drastically pollutants from motor vehicles is recognised by all manufacturers. While the long-term aim must be to eliminate the use of fossil fuels altogether, that day is still a long way off. In the meantime, other interim measures are necessary to limit the damage to our world.
Compared with the United States. Scandinavia and Switzerland, the EC has been slow to react to the problem. By 1993, however, that will have changed. Tougher emissions standards mean that all new cars will have to be fitted with catalytic converters, and diesel engines must also be cleaner.
During the last few years, there have been enough PR campaigns on Green cars and Green fuel, too many of them with a high nonsense content. The issue goes beyond what comes out of the exhaust pipe. Many drivers do not realise that more energy is spent in build ing a car than it will use in its lifetime. Cars need to be built with the durability of trucks and more parts will have to be recyclable.
Volkswagen has been among the indus try leaders in cleaning up its act. VW plants use water-based paints instead of solvent-based products, reducing environmentally unfriendly factory emissions.
The "Umwelt" (Environmental) diesel car engine is one of the cleanest internal combustion engines in the world. At a recent seminar on the environment, Ulrich Seiffert, head of research and development at VW, expressed the view that clean diesels would play an important role in the development of low emissions engines. He also envisaged manufacturing plants that will assemble new vehicles in one area and dismantle old ones for recycling in another. Again, VW was one of the first manufacturers to offer catalytic convertors on its model range.
A Transporter so equipped is the subject of this week's test. The basic design is now decidedly long in the tooth but, as reported in last week's issue, a brand new front-wheel drive Transporter will be with us next spring.
Meanwhile, if you want a petrolpowered, 1-tonne panel van fitted with a catalytic converter, the Transporter forms a short list of one. At 29,673 (ex-VAT), it adds around 2450 to the price of the noncatalyst-equipped, petrol-injection model. Similarly, it is expensive compared with the Citroen C25E (27,785), Renault Trafic T1400 LWB (28,855) and most other petrol-powered rivals.