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WOLFSBURG, Germany – In 2012 we reported Volkswagen’s radical UFO-esque XL1 undergoing testing. Despite its radical looks, what really grabbed the automotive world was the German automaker’s claimed fuel consumption for its extraordinary model.
The new XL1 two-seater could be the most fuel-efficient production car in the worldat 0.9 litres/100km courtesy of its plug-in hybrid system.
TOP SPEED 160KM/H
A two-cylinder 35kW turbodiesel engine works with a 20kW electric motor and drives through a five-speed dual clutch auto gearbox.
The car will make Greenpeace happy and sniff at any CO2 emissions taxation with a rating of only 21g/km. The XL1 can accelerate to 100km/h in 12.7sec, reach 160km/h and cover as far as 50km in battery mode.
IMAGE GALLERY
VW has followed sports-car design for the shell with a low weight of 795kg, perfect aerodynamics (Cd 0.189) and a low centre of gravity (1153mm high). This enables the model to cruise on the road at a constant 100km/h using only 6.2kW. In electric mode it requires less than 0.1 kWh/km.
Conceptually, the XL1 is the third evolutionary stage of VW’s one-litre car strategy.
EVEN THE BOXSTER IS TALLER
The XL1 is 3.8m long and 1.6m wide. By usual automotive standards that's extreme; VW’s Polo has a similar length (3.9m) and width (1682mm) but is significantly taller (1.4m).
Even a pure-bred sports car such as sister company Porsche’s Boxster is 129mm taller (1.2m).
Unfortunately the new XL1 won’t be headed for our shores any time soon. VW SA’s public relations manager: "There are no plans to introduce XL1 in SA."
The new XL1 two-seater could be the most fuel-efficient production car in the worldat 0.9 litres/100km courtesy of its plug-in hybrid system.
TOP SPEED 160KM/H
A two-cylinder 35kW turbodiesel engine works with a 20kW electric motor and drives through a five-speed dual clutch auto gearbox.
The car will make Greenpeace happy and sniff at any CO2 emissions taxation with a rating of only 21g/km. The XL1 can accelerate to 100km/h in 12.7sec, reach 160km/h and cover as far as 50km in battery mode.
IMAGE GALLERY
VW has followed sports-car design for the shell with a low weight of 795kg, perfect aerodynamics (Cd 0.189) and a low centre of gravity (1153mm high). This enables the model to cruise on the road at a constant 100km/h using only 6.2kW. In electric mode it requires less than 0.1 kWh/km.
Conceptually, the XL1 is the third evolutionary stage of VW’s one-litre car strategy.
EVEN THE BOXSTER IS TALLER
The XL1 is 3.8m long and 1.6m wide. By usual automotive standards that's extreme; VW’s Polo has a similar length (3.9m) and width (1682mm) but is significantly taller (1.4m).
Even a pure-bred sports car such as sister company Porsche’s Boxster is 129mm taller (1.2m).
Unfortunately the new XL1 won’t be headed for our shores any time soon. VW SA’s public relations manager: "There are no plans to introduce XL1 in SA."
