Drove my Rapid Sport 1.2TSI down the M1 today and found it very sluggish!  Had to floor the pedal a few times in 'situations' and very little responce! even dropping to 4th at 60mph it wouldn't pull!!  The 1.6 TDI 105 Monte Carlo is a rocket in comparison but as Ive only done 350miles so far in TSI I'm hoping it will loosen up otherwise a re-map is going to be essential for motorway driving!

I would think less about running in the Engine and think about things like Brake Discs & pads & Hand Brake Cables needing some chance to loosen off & stretch.

Bearing to get an easy run in etc.

These things heat up when new and it is worth running in a car as the Owners Manual Suggests.

 

Or drive it like a Delivery Driver, or a Hire Car, some last for many years, some do not.

 

george

My Rapid Sport has a 1.2 TSI (105 bhp) power unit and it seems very sweet and responsive!   It has just clocked 300 miles and some things are still a bit stiff and starchy.   I know "running in" is not strictly necessary in these days of robotic precision tooling and bench-run engines, but I feel you get a quieter, smoother, better running car altogether if you're careful with her for the first 1000 miles or so (keep her round about 2000 rpm) and just give her short, controlled bursts up to 3000 rpm every now and then.    The "quieter, smoother running" bit may well be in my imagination, but it seems to work for me.

Edited 4 July, 201411 yr by bealine

Perhaps a pipe has come off sumwhere causing boost to escape. I would expect a slight performance increase over a running in period but nothing to compensate for what you describe

Does the power come in high up the rev range?

If you're going from a tdi to a petrol you're maybe still in the process of learning the car.

 

I've gone the other way from a VRS TFSI to a diesel Honda. It's taking me a while to get used to the character of a diesel again to get the best out of it.

I have an 1.8 MX5 Mk2 and a Mitsubishi Outlander turbo diesel.  My wife's 1.2TSI 105ps Roomster has nearer driving characteristics to the Outlander than the naturally aspirated MX5, which needs some rpm.

 

The turbo gives the 1.2TSI maximum torque from about 1500rpm through to 4000+ so shouldn't need high rpm to feel nippy.

 

I'm impressed with the Roomster, which is saying something as I drive all three fairly regularly.  It has 600 odd miles on now, and I can't say it has ever felt sluggish (picked it up with 11 miles on it) or that it has got noticeably nippier.

 

Unless the OP was going uphill, or into a serious headwind, it doesn't sound right.  The first trip in the Roomie was from the dealer in South Yorkshire, to home in Herts, via Cambridge.  No problems keeping up to speed on the M1, A1, A14 etc. and no high rpm required.

Edited 4 July, 201411 yr by Manatee

Our Toldeo 1.2tsi seemed relatively eager from new although it is much different to driving a 2ltr CR Passat. Managed the motorway journey from Crewe to Stafford easily enough although the salesman stated that until it had passed 150 the engine would be limited to approximately 85% power. Still that felt pretty responsive without the need to thrash it, perhaps worth taking it back, as someone suggested if the turbo is loosing boost pressure it will feel lethargic. 

Have now done 650miles and a big difference in performance and fuel economy. Engine very responsive from 1500rpm. Fuel economy now 48mpg (38 last week!)

 

I realise new cars do need running in but this is first one i've had where it has been very noticeable.

Our Toldeo 1.2tsi seemed relatively eager from new although it is much different to driving a 2ltr CR Passat. Managed the motorway journey from Crewe to Stafford easily enough although the salesman stated that until it had passed 150 the engine would be limited to approximately 85% power. Still that felt pretty responsive without the need to thrash it, perhaps worth taking it back, as someone suggested if the turbo is loosing boost pressure it will feel lethargic. 

Thanks for the info, I did think there was a fault of some sort but have now done 650miles and suddenly a big difference in performance and fuel economy. Engine very responsive from 1500rpm. It feels like a different car! Fuel economy now 48mpg (38 last week!) 

 

I realise new cars do need running in but this is first one i've had where it has been very noticeable.

Interesting Charles.  Maybe you can report back in a week or two and say whether the economy improvement is maintained?

 

800 miles here, now.  No complaints about performance but over two tanks, fuel economy is only 41mpg, driven considerately.  A bit disappointing.  I did a few miles in 'S' last night to build the revs up a bit - in 'D' it barely gets past 2000rpm.