At the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show (November 22 – December 1), VW will unveil a special Up study called the Twin-Up. Featuring an upgraded version of the diesel electric hybrid powertrain from the XL1, the Twin-Up get very close to the magic 1 liter/100 km (235 mpg US/282 mpg UK) average fuel consumption number that Ferdinand Piech had in mind when he gave the green light to what is now known as the XL1.
The Twin-Up is said to average 1.1 l/100 km (214 mpg US/257 mpg UK) thanks to its 0.8-liter 2-cylinder diesel engine, the more powerful 8.6 kWh electric motor (instead of 5.5 kWh) and the upgraded battery, which has received 2 additional modules to cope with the Twin-Up’s increased weight compared to the XL1 – 401kg (884 lbs) more to be exact.
It also features a bigger diesel fuel tank that can take 33 liters (8.7 gallons), offering a driving range of 1,000 km (621 miles). Combined output of the hybrid system is 75PS (74hp) and 215 Nm (158 lb-ft), with the Twin-Up covering the 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint in 15.7 seconds (13.2 seconds for the XL1) and reaching a top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph).
The prototype can cover 50 km (31 miles) in purely electric drive at speeds of up to 125 km/h (78 mph). VW says the Twin-Up hints to a possible production version, but it’s hard to find a business case for a car that usually costs around €10,000 but features the powertrain from a €111,000 small series economy supercar. At €26,900, people already find the e-Up too expensive, so imagine what they would say about an Up that would cost considerably more.
By Dan Mihalascu
Note: VW e-Up! pictured*
Story References: AutoBild
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