Spy Shots: Groundbreaking pre-production Volkswagen XL1 caught testing on the ice

[Haltech]

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Volkswagen, Electric, Diesel



Just over one year ago, we heard reports suggesting that Volkswagen would actually be building a production version of its Formula XL1 concept for limited consumption. And while the skeptics among us were quick to dismiss these reports with a resounding "yeah, right," this latest set of spy shots show that Volkswagen is indeed making progress on an honest-to-goodness road-going model of its 1.0-liter fuel economy warrior.

It's still unclear exactly what will power the production XL1, though the concept car featured a two-cylinder TDI diesel paired with an electric motor, lithium-ion battery pack and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. All in, this is said to be good for an astonishing 235 miles per gallon. It might look big and sleek, but the XL1 is about as long and wide as a Volkswagen Polo. It should be ultra-light, too - the concept version tipped the scales at just 1,753 pounds.

The XL1 might look sleek and sporty, but performance will be anything but. The latest reports state that the production car will be limited to a stop speed of about 75 miles per hour, and that it'll take 32(!) seconds to shoot from a stand-still to 50 mph.

We'll keep our eyes peeled for future XL1 prototypes as development continues, but for now, scroll through our attached high-res image gallery to see the space-age VW for yourself.Groundbreaking pre-production Volkswagen XL1 caught testing on the ice originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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