Even on rough mountain roads, the BlueSport has a pliant and composed ride. Sure, the wide tires tramline a bit, and the steering tends to be overly attentive around the straight-ahead position, but it's still a remarkable effort. Light, energetically geared, and not overdampened, it remains communicative even when you wind on a handful of lock. Another asset the engineers have dialed in to this special Volkswagen is the synchronized effort and travel of major controls such as brakes, steering, throttle, and shift paddles. As a result, this allegedly unfinished car drives in a remarkably smooth and balanced manner.
Despite the fact that it's a show car, we pushed it hard over many miles of public roads and it drove almost like the real thing - with crisp steering, responsive brakes, well-sorted spring and damper setups, and a solid body.
If VW can transfer the essential shape and spirit of the Concept BlueSport to the production model (due in mid-2012 at a base price of about $30,000), the company will have a surefire winner.
length: 157.1 in
width: 68.9 in
wheelbase: 95.7 in
cargo space: 4.0/2.5 cu ft (front/rear)
55 Miles per gallon, The Concept BlueSport's city fuel economy, as measured on the European test cycle. That rating was achieved with the car's Eco mode engaged, which activates an automatic stop/start feature on the 2.0-liter turbo-diesel engine.