After a good decade of development and testing, the XL1 is finally about to become a reality. The project that began life as the ambitiously named VW “1-Liter Concept” back in 2002, will finally get its production-ready curtain call at thin just a few weeks.
As soon as it hits the streets, the two-seater XL1 will instantly become the most fuel-efficient and most aerodynamic production car in the world. The car uses a plug-in hybrid system to achieve mind-blowing consumption of just 0.9 L/100 km with an equally tiny 21 g/km of Co2. Coefficient of drag is a miniscule 0.189 and it weighs just 795 kg thanks to its carbon fiber construction.
XL1 power comes from a 47HP two-cylinder 800cc diesel motor connected to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, while a lithium-ion battery feeds the 27HP electric motor. Both combine to give the XL1 performance figures that are not too shabby considering its extreme frugality: 0-100 km/h comes up in 12.7 seconds and top speed is nearly 160 km/h.
The front features a double wishbone suspension, while the back gains a semi-trailing link setup. Other highlights include ceramic brake discs and carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) anti-roll bars. It can travel on electricity for 50 km but the range can be expanded 499 km if the small 10-liter fuel tank is filled.
The first batch of XL1s will consist of 50 cars and after that Volkswagen will build it on demand. No details for the moment about price.
