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| Volkswagen XL1 concept, an AW Flash Drive: Posted: 29 Jan 2011 01:43 PM PST          Related Articles
What is it? The XL1 is Volkswagen's swing for the fuel-efficiency home-run fence, boasting 263 mpg for the two-seat, rear-engine car. Given its extensive use of lightweight carbon fiber and a plug-in hybrid powertrain that combines a 48-hp twin-cylinder diesel engine, a 27-hp electric motor and a seven-speed DSG transmission, the car may well be capable of meeting VW's claim. The car is capable of traveling 22 miles on electric power alone from its 5-kilowatt-hour battery pack. Shown as a concept at the Qatar motor show on Tuesday and Wednesday, by Thursday, the vehicle was plying the streets of Doha on a series of media test drives and wowing the general public, who marveled at its futuristic styling. What is it like to drive? Surprisingly well for a concept car--it hardly feels like a multimillion-dollar one-off prototype fresh off the show floor. Operating procedures are fairly straightforward: Punch the start button twice, put the car in drive and go. In our mix of low- and medium-speed urban driving, the diesel clattered to life quite often to assist the electric motor and recharge the batteries, which had been depleted by a half-dozen test drives prior to ours. At the same time, the electric traction motor was able to take over and silently power the vehicle for long periods at 45 to 50 mph without any power coming from the diesel. The car is smooth and steady, seemingly like a production VW in most ways, except for the nonassisted brakes and steering (though the steering still felt quite light) and the high-tech rearview-mirror camera displays mounted in each door panel just below the window frame. The mirrors were easy to get used to and were well-packaged, as though they could be production on a Passat tomorrow. Overall, the car drove light, unlike most hybrids and electrics, which feel weighed down by huge battery packs. Do I want it? Of course, once VW gets to the point of putting the car on the market--which it intends to do in small volume by 2013. The production model might incorporate a supercharged gasoline engine but will likely be equally efficient. 2011 Volkswagen XL1 BASE PRICE: N/A LAYOUT: Two-passenger, rear-engine, rear-drive concept coupe DRIVETRAIN: 0.8-liter twin diesel, 48 hp, combined with a 27-hp electric motor, seven-speed DSG transmission WEIGHT: 1,752 lb 0-62 MPH: 11.9 sec (mfr) |
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