VW XL1 Will Be Produced

Volkswagen unveiled the XL1 ultra-efficient concept at the Qatar Motor Show and, while everybody agreed that this is indeed a great idea, the same question was on everyone's lips: will this ever be produced or not? Well, it might seem like the German manufacturer will actually start production of the XL1 in two years but don't get too excited about that.

Volkswagen is likely to roll out a maximum of 100 units, but production volume could go even lower than that, company officials said in a statement.

"We want to go into series production with this car starting in 2013," VW Chairman Ferdinand Piech told Automotive News Europe in a statement. VW CEO Martin Winterkorn also confirmed a possible production debut for the model: "We will bring out the XL1 in Europe first, initially Germany. The U.S. and China will follow at a later date," he said.

The XL1 could suffer a number of modification when and if it will ever go in production, but the vehicle will most likely use the same combination of lightweight materials, monocoque and add-on parts made of carbon fiber, a very low aerodynamic drag (0.186) plus a very advanced plug-in hybrid system which relies on a two-cylinder TDI engine and an electric motor.

The 800 cm3 two-cylinder TDI engine develops a maximum power of 48 hp and 120 Nm of torque, while the electric motor adds an extra 27 hp and 100 Nm of torque. The powertrains are mated to a 7-speed DSG, with the electric unit being backed by a lithium-ion battery pack.