What does Volkswagen 230t mean?

[OEmilia]

230tsi refers to models equipped with a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine, where 't' stands for turbocharging, 's' for stratification, and 'i' for injection, indicating the use of Volkswagen's fuel stratified direct injection technology engine. More details are as follows: 1. Vehicles with displacement markings like 1.4t at the rear are older models, typically produced before 2015. Starting from 2015, Volkswagen has gradually introduced a new 'torque-based' rear marking system in the Chinese market. 2. The introduction of the 'torque-based' rear marking system represents a significant innovation for the Volkswagen brand in China, making the torque performance of Volkswagen vehicles clear at a glance and encouraging consumers to focus more on the actual performance of the engine rather than just the displacement. To this end, Volkswagen has categorized its engine torque values (in N•m) into several 'torque classes,' such as 180, 230, 280, 330, and 380 N•m. 3. The rear marking system displays the 'torque class value in N•m' plus the 'engine technology type' on the right rear of Volkswagen passenger cars and light commercial vehicles equipped with TSI and TDI engines. 4. For example, the new marking '230TSI' means that the vehicle is equipped with a TSI engine with a torque class of 230 N•m. Volkswagen models gradually adopting the new rear markings will cover A0 to B-segment passenger cars, SUVs, and MPV commercial vehicles. The Shanghai Volkswagen Lamando and FAW-Volkswagen New Sagitar were the first models to adopt Volkswagen's new rear markings. Therefore, 230t refers to a TSI engine with a torque of 230 N•m.

[VanIsla]

Seeing '230T' on the back of a Volkswagen is actually a clever marketing trick by the brand. That '230' doesn't refer to engine displacement—it indicates the car's torque output is roughly between 225-250 Nm, which would have been labeled as 230TSI under the old naming system. Essentially, it's the high-power version of the 1.4T engine, used in models like the Golf and Lamando. The 'T' at the end, of course, stands for turbocharging, a feature now standard across most VW turbo engines. If you spot a '280T' on the road, that means even higher torque and more aggressive performance. While old-school drivers used to judge cars by displacement numbers, nowadays you’ll need to understand torque ratings to avoid being misled by sales tactics.

[OAnderson]

Hey, I've studied this badge! Volkswagen started this number game back in 2015. 230T means the torque level is around 230. Take the Lavida 230TSI as an example - it uses a 1.4T engine with 225 N·m maximum torque, which rounds up to 230. Here's a trick: divide the tail badge number by 10 to roughly get the engine torque value (calculated in hundreds of N·m). Nowadays, 280T means about 280 N·m, and 380T indicates the high-power AWD version. Recently I noticed some domestic brands copying this trick with 380T badges, but their actual torque falls short. Always check the spec sheet when car shopping to be sure.

[LeOmar]

Simply put, it's a torque labeling method. Volkswagen marks the rounded-up hundred-digit figure of the engine's maximum torque value on the vehicle. For example, 230T represents a torque range of 225-250 N·m. My Golf 7 has 230TSI on its rear, and the 1.4T engine indeed feels more powerful than the old 1.6L. This naming system is much more intuitive than the early TSI with red letters—now, the bigger the number, the stronger the power. However, it's important to note that even among 230T models, the Passat and Polo don't use the same engine.