Volkswagen knocked one out of the park with its genre-defying, extreme MGP XL1 supercar- with orders exceeding the company’s XL1 production plans for the slinky exotic car, despite its six-figure price tag. Don’t think that the XL1 is done because VW doesn’t plan on building more XL1s, though. Meet the Volkswagen’s XL1 follow-up act: the 250+ MPG Volkswagen Twin Up! diesel hybrid set to debut later this month at the LA Auto Show.
The Twin Up! uses a modified version of the XL1′s 47 hp, 800 cc diesel engine and electric hybrid drivetrain to return a claimed fuel consumption of more than 256 MPG and CO2 emissions of just 27 g/km on the European cycles (if that g/km measurement didn’t give it away). That’s pretty strong, considering the 900 lb. weight penalty the Twin Up! has over the featherweight XL1.
The new Volkswagen diesel hybrid would, if sold in the US, carry the highest EPA mileage rating of any hybrid car, including Chevy’s plug-in hybrid Volt,which the EPA previously rated at “just” 93 MPG.
The Twin Up! is expected to join the all-electric e-Up! and e-Golf in Volkswagen’s bid to become the world leader in clean cars, and bringing cars like the Twin Up! and e-Golf to the US is a big part of their strategy in the coming years. The only question then will be: will it sell?
What do you think, readers? Has VW nailed it and discovered that diesel hybrids are the way to go, or has the success of the XL1 lulled them into believing it was the drivetrain and MPG estimates that sold it, and not the space-age bodywork? Let us know what you think – and remember to show your work!
Source | Photos: Volkswagen, via Auto Express UK.
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