UK magazine AutoExpress recently reviewed the VW XL1 hybrid, which is for all intents and purposes, a limited-run production car, but not the kind of vehicle you think of buying right now, yet you somehow know you kind-of will in the not too distant future – it’s an important model to show the way forward.
I mean, its powertrain, which combines a 47hp (48PS) two-cylinder diesel , an electric motor 27hp (27PS), a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox (DSG) and a 5.5 kWh lithium-ion battery, has already been transferred into a city-oriented Up! that promises astonishing efficiency numbers, while carbon fiber construction is also fast approaching the mainstream too.
The British crew take it out for a spin, with a chaperon who’s also a bit of a guide, and they try out its driving dynamics, which we already know are not bad from the prior review that we posted.
The powertrain delivers enough punch not to leave you stranded on a faster road looking to accelerate – this is where the electric motor really comes in to help the two-pot diesel that would surely feel really strained even with the low curb weight and slippery streamliner shape.
Watch the test for yourself below.
By Andrei Nedelea
VIDEO