EU3 Cars: Profitable for Manufacturers?

Hello – especially to the motor experts.

The 96 kW PD TDI engine in the Polo is quite new – and, as far as I know, will no longer be produced for much longer because cars meeting EU3 standards are no longer allowed to be registered for the first time after 2005.

Therefore, I'm quite puzzled that VAG offered this engine for such a short time in the Polo, considering all the costs involved in development, type approval, etc. - and especially since the affordable sporty niche within the VAG group is actually supposed to be covered by Seat -> ASZ Ibiza, Cupra, etc.

Is it even possible to make a profit with the Polo, which has a power output of 96 kW?

Or perhaps there's a different tactic at play here:
Approximately, the information suggests that the 1.9L 96 kW TDI engine, contrary to all previous estimates, can indeed be modified to meet D4 standards with a reasonable amount of effort, and that production, for example, only needs to be slightly adjusted after the factory holidays in 2004 (and the new type approval, with only minor changes to an already approved car, will also be relatively inexpensive ), rather than squeezing the 2.0L 16V TDI engine into the Polo?

That could explain this modeling policy, in my opinion.

On the other hand, the 96 kW engine, even in the base Polo, suggests that the motor should be sold as often as possible during the remaining time so that the costs for development, type approval, etc., are hopefully covered (I will probably contribute to this ), unlike, for example, the 110 kW TDI, which was only available in the top-of-the-line luxury version of the Golf 4.

What do you know (or think) about the background information?

Hi Ulf,

The question is also whether it will cost anything at all. The 6L and 9N models are built on the same platform, and the similarities in the chassis and safety equipment will be very significant. It's possible that they already have approval for the platform, so this cost factor may not exist or may be very low.

Best regards,

January.

Okay, when it comes to the words 'VAG' and 'THINKING,' all logic circuits just seem to shut down.

Who knows...

The emission standards shouldn't be too much of a problem. The EDC system has always been designed to meet them, the PD (presumably referring to another component) is also ready, and the catalytic converter is also available.
The real problem isn't getting it into the mill.

however: see above

CU Gremlin.

Okay, I agree with Gremlin; they probably don't think much about it. However, I also can't imagine that it makes sense to only offer this feature for one year. But again, the question is: why not immediately switch it to D4? Then, in addition to the "basic equipment" market strategy, they could also jump on the "green wave" and say, "Look how verschandeln ours is." That's definitely selling point number one right now.

Hi,

It's all a matter of sales tactics.

You can use this to make it clear to the customer that the engine is "outdated," and that they should really buy the higher-quality EU4 version with the Golf (for a lot more money - €€€€). There will be some naive people who will fall for it.

Furthermore, the planned production capacity for the EU3 engines can still be utilized because the more engines of a particular type that are sold, the cheaper they become.

An EU4 engine is likely to be more expensive, which would reduce the profit margin. Volkswagen is trying to postpone this as much as possible.

Weiterhin könnte es sein das VW bereits den Einsatz des 2.0 16V im Polo vorbreitet. Unfortunately,
It's not enough to simply install the engine; a whole series of lengthy tests must be carried out before the car-engine combination can be released onto the market. Previously, the integration of the 2.0 16V engine was focused on the G5 model. Now that the Golf is available, the freed-up resources can be used for other projects – potentially integrating the 2.0 16V engine into the Polo.

Let's wait and see if the 96kW engine will be adjusted to meet EU4 standards, or if the 2.0 16V engine will be installed instead.

Hey everyone,

It's possible that you might only be able to get it approved for use in the EU4 market with a particulate filter. In that case, I would advise anyone considering buying it to do so *before* that requirement is put in place.

The fuel consumption increases by approximately 10% due to the diesel particulate filter (DPF) because of the back pressure in the exhaust system! This tendency is increasing as the filter becomes clogged. The engine's performance deteriorates, and turbo lag becomes more pronounced.
The filter has a limited lifespan, estimated at 80,000 kilometers (or miles), and it's not expensive.

And the worst part is: if he ever gets bad fuel, like fuel containing sulfur or old oil, the filter will clog and that's it!
This also applies to motor oil that is not approved for use. If the oil tends to form ash, the filter will be damaged as soon as the engine has burned a certain amount of it, because the ash remains in the filter and does not burn away.

From my perspective, the particulate filter, along with its expected problems and costs, could signal the end of the diesel boom.

The manufacturers are aware of this, which is why they are hesitant to sell the particulate filter.