The Volkswagen XL1 production car gets 261 mpg with TDI and electric power

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This is the production ready Volkswagen XL1 plug-in diesel hybrid

The 2013 Geneva Motor Show will highlight one of the most unique, exotic and green cars built – AND it’s a production model. The Volkswagen XL1 is a hybrid that’s capable of 261 mpg while providing two passengers with a top speed of 100 mph. It looks friggin’ cool too. Kind of like a reject from a Hollywood sci-fi movie. 

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If needed, the Volkswagen XL1 can travel up to 30 miles on electricity alone.

The Volkswagen XL1 plug-in hybrid is a high tech monster. An 800CC, two-cylinder turbo diesel (TDI) engine rated at 47 horsepower is hooked up to a 27 hp electric motor to make this plug-in hybrid remarkably efficient. All the power is fed through the rear wheels via a seven-speed DSG transmission. The lithium ion batteries sit between the front wheels.

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Weighing in at a minuscule 1,753 lbs, nearly 1,000 lbs less than a Honda CRZ, the Volkswagen XL1 is much more conventional in interior design than the XL1 tandem seating prototype. The driver and passenger sit nearly side-by-side with the passenger’s seat back several inches behind the driver’s seating position. It appears to me that there is a bit of storage behind the driver’s seat, but not much anywhere else.

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Volkswagen has not released proper 0 to 60 mph times, but 0 to 62 (100 km/h) is reported to happen in 12.7 seconds. That’s in line with some smaller plug-in hybrids already on the market. None of those vehicles offer these sweet, gull-wing doors. I half expect to see Wesley Snipes pop out quoting Demolition Man.

The sleek shape lends itself to an outstanding 0.19 drag coefficient. For a basis of comparison, the 2013 Lamborghini Aventador’s drag coefficient is .33. At 153.1 inches long, 65.6 inches wide, and 45.4 inches high, the Volkswagen XL1 is much smaller than a Honda CRZ. 

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There is no word as to what Volkswagen will charge for its XL1, but word has it that they will lease these models and that the production run will be limited to about 1,000 per year. It’s also said that, given the complexity of the design and vast quantities of money spent researching the Volkswagen XL1, Volkswagen will lose thousands for each vehicle sold/leased. Much the same way Volkswagen blows a mountain of cash for every Bugatti Veyron sold. 

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No idea if Volkswagen has plans to sell or lease the Volkswagen XL1 in the United States. That information, along with real pricing may be announced next month at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show when it debuts.

Check out this slick Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid video!

I will say this: for a Futurerama-style machine, I this the Volkswagen XL1 looks pretty sweet. What do you think?

Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. Wrecking yards, dealer lots, garages, racetracks, professional automotive testing and automotive journalism - Nathan has experienced a wide range of the automotive spectrum.  His words, good humor and video are enjoyed worldwide.
Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. Wrecking yards, dealer lots, garages, racetracks, professional automotive testing and automotive journalism – Nathan has experienced a wide range of the automotive spectrum. His words, good humor and video are enjoyed worldwide.