Volkswagen’s XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle (SEV), which premiered in concept form at the Qatar Motor Show in January last year, is set to go into small-series production in 2013, presumably as a primary field test.
VW’s CEO Martin Winterkorn said that production will start in two years time in Germany, according to a report by Automotive News Europe. The report added that sources said the plug-in hybrid will be built either in Dresden or Wolfsburg.
The lightweight 795 kg vehicle is an evolution of the 1-Litre car from 2002 and the L1 concept of 2009, and is capable of offering a staggering 110.9 km per litre in fuel consumption on a combined cycle.
It’s powered by an 800 cc TDI two-cylinder common-rail diesel engine offering 47 hp and an electric motor producing 27 hp, and the hybrid powertrain works with a seven-speed DSG gearbox with an automatic clutch mounted between each unit.
The electric motor can either work independently of the TDI engine or in tandem when accelerating – in pure electric mode the XL1 can travel up to 35 km before the diesel engine cuts in. Performance figures for the 3.97 metre-long two-seater include a 0-100 km/h time of 11.9 seconds and an electronically-limited 160 km/h top speed.
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for aerodynamic sake have to sacrifice the design ….
Is the best of form, fluid design…… symmetrical and smoothness….maybe it takes times before people can truly accept the design.
I just loves it…. nowadays when we see car in the road guest how many people in the car….. most likely only one driver and no passengers.
Cools…
Who thinks that it will really go into production by 2013
If you don’t believe VW’s CEO Martin Winterkorn, who else you would trust?
front view: WOW!!!
Rear view: FUGLY!!!
Better VW produce the BlueSport…
Hope P1 could look into development of a water base fuel car someday. Then we can save our planet from environmental pollution.
techno and all are superb…but why it has to be UGLY???
‘Form follows function’
Because of the aerodynamic drag, the designers have no other chance. An i.e. Airbus aircraft looks nearly the same as a Boeing aircraft for that reason.
BTW: The production model looks a little bit different (i.e. it has rear mirrors instead of a rear camera). It has recently been caught during tests in Sweden:
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/volkswagen-xl1-spy-shots/#photo-4903602/
Reminds me of Citroen DS or is it SM….
holy shit……110.9km/L. assuming 35L fuel tank = 3881.5km per tank!!! average 25000km per year, you only need to refuel 5.2 times every year or once every 2.3 months!
I hope it comes with a small tank…. I mean, if the fuel consumption is so good, what for carrying around so much fuel/extra weight?
Thumb up for fuel saving but design look like a cockroach
blimey, it’s the new Space Sheriff Gaban transport..!
they got this design from the first generation Honda Insight
Hahaha!
‘Auto Union’ (now Audi, belongs to VW) build the ‘Type C Stromlinie’ already in 1937:
http://www.derzwickauer.de/autounion_typ_c_stromlinie.jpg
S?ichir? Honda founded Honda in 1948 and build the first car (the T360) in 1963…
yes we can’t accept the design right now but i believe that design will conquer the roads In the near future.. the prove is hybrid car now, those days ppl complaint the reliability but now it’s a trend..
What? Wasn’t this supposed to some experiment of theirs to see the results of extreme aerodynamics? It’s somewhat impractical to produce this IMO.
Read the text again: This is a production car, it will go into production next year.
Impractical for who? Petronas, Shell & Caltex? Because it has a better fuel consumption than a Kapchai (VW XL1=110.9km/l, Modenas Kriss=47 km/l)?
this look like a retro blended design…covered rear wheel look like 50’s/60’s design. Rear light look like enhanced 1970 Chrysler/ Dodge Challenger SRT8 rear light.
yes , design wise a lot of my friend complain about it …. but in fuel economy and environment wise , is a good news ….
i dont think this unit will hit malaysia in very soon but assume they start produce in 2013 , roll out at 2014 , only a few year after that (maybe 2018) only hit malaysia. but i hope for any miracle .
its very hard to accept the covered rear wheels.. this is really a high risk gambling
sorry, but i tergelak when looking the rear pic :D