2014 Volkswagen XL1

Volkswagen has revealed the production version of the XL1 diesel-electric hybrid; a car that Volksagen claims can travel just over 62 miles on one litre of diesel – or £1.45-worth at the current average price. The lightweight two-seater has previously been revealed in concept form, claiming similarly staggering figures but now Volkswagen has confirmed the final production numbers to be fuel economy of 314mpg and CO2 emissions of 21g/km. It’s impressive efficiency is down to its low kerbweight, aerodynamic design and frugal powertrain. The XL1 weighs 795kg because it has a body made mostly of light carbon fibre-reinforced plastic and an ultra-thin glass windscreen. The body itself weighs just 230kgs. Lightweight by no means flimsy, though, with the carbon fibre-reinforced plastic providing a high-strength survival space in the case of a crash. Front and rear aluminium structures are present to absorb most of the crash energy and the gullwing doors are fitted with explosive bolts so drivers can get out if the car flips upside down. The XL1 is powered by an 800cc two-cylinder diesel engine with 47bhp and a 27bhp electric motor, delivering power to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. In electric-only mode the XL1 can travel around 30 miles on a single charge. When driven in diesel-only mode at normal motorway speeds VW claims it can average around 130-140mpg – or about 250 miles on one 10-litre tank full. With a long, low and narrow design the XL1 claims a drag coefficient of just 0.189. That’s better than the Prius, which claims 0.25Cd. It’s achieved through having skinny tyres and e-mirrors mounted in the doors rather than traditional wing mirrors. These project virtual images on to screens in the cabin, so the driver can see behind them. Inside the cabin, the driver and passenger sit next to each other, with one seat mounted slightly behind the other. The dash is simply laid-out and borrows from other models in the Volkswagen line-up. There is a 120-litre boot at the back, too. Production of the 2014 Volkswagen XL1 is scheduled to commence later this year at the automaker’s plant in Osnabrück, Germany. Only around 50 examples will be built for the initial run, with Volkswagen planning to lift this figure should demand be sufficient. (autoexpress)