Volkswagen xl1 (2014, хэтчбек)

The Drive

Climb over the carbon-trimmed sills and the cabin is surprisingly roomy. With the staggered but close-set seats, there’s a pleasing but not overfamiliar intimacy. That interior is where the designers had the most influence, and it shows. «We wanted it to be recognizable as a VW, but also to show how it’s unique,» says British designer Andrew Hart-Barron. The result is a pleasing mixture of VW Group instruments, with a splendid piano-black ventilation duct that runs across the dash. It’s classy, and like no other car.

The passenger seat is fixed, but the driver’s moves fore and aft, and the backrest tilts. The steering wheel also adjusts for reach. The very tallest might find the roof encroaching on their coiffures, but I’m six feet tall and had headroom to spare. The only criticism might be the lack of space to rest my large and redundant clutch foot. As with all scissor doors, it takes a firm pull to get this one up and down, and without conventional door mirrors, the XL1 displays television images of what’s going on behind you on door-mounted screens. They’re strange, but you quickly get used to them.

All around are weight- and energy-saving innovations: Light-emitting diode lamps are used for even the headlights, and narrow-gauge wiring with tiny electrical fuses runs through the car. Movable louvers in front of the radiator and a flat underbelly reduce drag.

One push of the starter gets the systems fired up, and after a five-second delay, another push prepares for takeoff, which is signified by a green «RDY» signal appearing on the dash. A well-sprung throttle pedal inhibits speedy getaways, so the driveline remains in electrical drive at first, but you immediately notice the direct and superbly weighted steering, which allows you to place the car accurately through the turns. Unassisted calipers squeezing ceramic brake rotors need a firm push from the brake pedal to activate, but are linear in operation. The argument still rages at Wolfsburg as to whether the brakes should have an electrical booster, which would add weight and complication but lighten the pedal pressures.

On electrical power, the 1795-pound VW feels zesty but hardly quick. Push the throttle harder and the parallel-twin diesel fires up with a thump from the driveline and a mechanical whir from the back. Refinement is only nascent, and that needs work before production. The ride is reasonably good on the special narrow Michelin tires, but over potholes or low expansion joints, you feel the unbending stiffness of the body shell. With all guns blazing and both propulsion units providing the urge, the XL1 is pleasingly brisk, and the fat slug of electrical torque wafts it forward between 40 and 60 mph. Road noise is quite audible, though, and when combined with the whirring motor and engine, the interior cacophony is borderline unacceptable. You can also hear the cooling fans mounted in the dorsal fin over the engine bay.

On my short drive around Doha, it was difficult to get a complete gauge of the handling, but the center of gravity is low, so it’s reasonably stable. If there’s one thing the XL1 has lost compared to its predecessor, it’s that otherworldly easy-gliding nature. Blame the hybrid powertrain, which adds a considerable amount of heft.

Volkswagen XL1 review

You enter the vehicle through mighty gullwing doors which are blown open by little integrated pyrotechnic devices should the poor thing ever come to rest on its roof after an accident. One sits on lightweight buckets in a staggered position, the driver closer to the dashboard than the passenger, to avoid rubbing shoulders and to warrant an ultra-slim frontal area that almost matches a cabin scooter.

Instead of mirrors, monitors integrated in the door panels depict in full colour what is happening behind your backs. Just about the only low-tech item inside this space-age plug-in VW are the manual window winders.

Running gear with high-tech materials

The running gear is characterized by lightweight construction with maximum safety. In front, a double wishbone suspension is used, while a semi-trailing link system is employed at the rear. The front and rear suspension are both very compact in construction. The running gear components mount directly to the CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) monocoque in key areas. Running gear weight is reduced by the use of aluminium parts (including suspension components, brake calipers, dampers, steering gear housing), CFRP (anti-roll bars), ceramics (brake discs), magnesium (wheels) and plastics (steering wheel body).

Friction-optimized wheel bearings and drive shafts, as well as optimized low rolling resistance tires from Michelin (front: 115/80 R 15; rear: 145/55 R 16), contribute to the low energy consumption of the new XL1. Safety gains are realized by an anti-lock braking system (ABS) and an electronic stabilization program (ESP). That is because sustainability without maximum safety would not really be a step forward.

Volkswagen XL1 Hybrid The “World’s Most Fuel Efficient”

VW, Hesitant About Electric Cars, Now In The Fast Lane.

Volkswagen’s diesel electric XL1 plug-in hybrid car which will soon go on sale in limited numbers across Europe, is the most fuel efficient and aerodynamic production car in the world, capable of more than 300 miles per gallon.

The XL1 also marks a big turnaround for VW, which until recently had soft-pedalled on electrification. At the Frankfurt Car Show in September, VW said it would have 14 vehicles through next year with alternative engines after introducing electric versions of the Golf family car and Up city car. VW, Europe’s biggest car maker, has also said it plans to offer up to 40 electric or hybrid cars over an unspecified time scale.

The tear-drop shaped two-seater XL1, which looks remarkably like a tidied up version of the ill-fated General Motors EV1 electric car from 1980s, can cover up to 30 miles-50 kms on its battery alone. The overall range is 500 kms-310 miles. The lithium ion battery, which sits at the front of the car, can be charged by the engine while driving, by regenerative braking as the car free wheels, and by plugging in to your house. To achieve maximum aerodynamics, the wing-mirrors have been replaced by cameras which display on a screen in front of the driver. VW will have produced about 200 by the end of the year at the plant in Osnabruck, Germany, so don’t expect to spy many on the road.

The XL1’s high-tech lightweight design means it weighs only 1,752 lbs-795 kgs. Top speed is limited to 100 mph, which takes about 12.7 seconds from rest. The rear-wheel drive XL1 is powered by a combination of an 800 cc, two-cylinder 47 hp diesel and a 27 hp electric motor located behind the driver, and has a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

Gull wingsThe XL1 is a development of previous lightweight vehicles proposed by VW which had the occupants sitting in line, like motor cycle riders. But in the XL1, the passengers sit side-by-side, with the passenger slightly offset. VW didn’t say why. The doors open upwards, gull-wing style. The XL1 is slightly shorter than VW’s Polo city car, and lower than a Porsche Boxster.

Volkswagen said it is producing large parts of the XL1 in lightweight and strong carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP). All exterior body parts as well as things like anti-roll bars are also made of CFRP. Only 23.2 percent of the XL1 is constructed from steel. VW said in a crash, CFRP is strong enough to provide the necessary survival space for the driver and passenger. To save weight, VW used no sound muffling materials. That might not please buyers. Nor will the crunching sound of the ceramic brakes.

VW now sounds positive, even bullish, about the future of hybrids and has signalled serious investment and a push for these vehicles, said Stefano Aversa, auto analyst at Alix Partners.

Обзор Volkswagen XL1 2014

Двухместный Volkswagen XL1 является самым экономичным серийным автомобилем в мире, расходуя всего 0,9 литра топлива на 100 км. Оснащенный гибридной силовой установкой с зарядкой от сети, он способен преодолевать до 50 км на электротяге, не загрязняя при этом окружающую среду.

Volkswagen XL1 (2014)

Новый гибрид разработан в полном соответствии с ключевыми принципами создания настоящего спорткара: небольшая масса автомобиля (795 кг), великолепная аэродинамика (Cd 0,189) и низкий центр тяжести (на высоте 1153 мм). Благодаря этому новая модель Volkswagen способна развить постоянную скорость 100 км/ч уже при мощности 6,2 кВт/8,4 л.с. При движении только на электротяге XL1 расходует менее 0,1 кВт/ч энергии на 1 км.

Уровень выбросов углекислого газа у нового автомобиля составляет не более 21 г/км. Этому способствуют гибридная силовая установка с зарядкой от сети и двухцилиндровым двигателем TDI мощностью 48 л.с., 27-сильный электродвигатель, семиступенчатая коробка передач с двумя сцеплениями (DSG), литий-ионный аккумулятор, а также высокотехнологичные облегченные конструкции и идеальная аэродинамика.

Максимальная скорость новинки составляет 160 км/ч, причем до первой сотни компактная модель разгоняется всего за 12,7 с. Расход топлива на уровне 0,9 л/100 км – это рекордный на сегодняшний день показатель, подчеркивающий способность марки Volkswagen менять представление о технических возможностях автомобилестроения.

Новинка представляет собой третий этап развития стратегии создания 1-литрового автомобиля. В начале нового тысячелетия проф. д-р Фердинанд Пиех (Ferdinand Piech), в настоящее время занимающий пост главы наблюдательного совета Volkswagen AG, сформулировал фантастическую цель: вывести на рынок практичный серийный автомобиль, потребляющий 1 литр топлива на 100 км. Эта мечта воплотилась в двухместном XL1.

Разработчики уделили внимание не только невероятной эффективности модели, но и новой концепции кузова, обеспечивающей большую практичность по сравнению с предыдущими прототипами. В 1-литровом автомобиле L1, представленном в 2002 и 2009 годах, водитель и пассажир из соображений аэродинамики сидели друг за другом

В модели XL1 оба сиденья расположены практически как в обычном автомобиле, но с небольшим смещением.

Длина автомобиля составляет 3888 мм, ширина – 1665 мм, высота – 1153 мм. Эти размеры только на первый взгляд кажутся внушительными. Для сравнения: модель Polo при примерно равных длине (3970 мм) и ширине (1682 мм) обладает гораздо большей высотой (1462 мм). Даже чистокровный спорткар Porsche Boxster выше XL1 на 129 мм (1282 мм). Новый XL1 призван стать революционной моделью, настоящим автомобилем будущего, доступным уже сейчас.

По материалам www.volkswagen.ru и др.

Technical data of the XL1

*electronically limited

Source: Volkswagen

The Specs

The XL1’s most dramatic departure from the L1 is its side-by-side seats. The switch came about because VW didn’t think customers would accept the tandem arrangement. Since side-by-side seats increase the width and drag of the car, front-to-rear to minimize that effect. With a frontal area of 16.15 square feet and a drag coefficient of 0.186, the XL1 is one of the slipperiest cars in the world. It’s a shame that the tandem seats have gone, though, as they helped make the XL1’s antecedents so special and slightly bonkers, harking back to Buckminster Fuller’s 1933 Dymaxion car or Fritz Fend’s 1958 Messerschmitt Tiger.

The plug-in hybrid XL1, however, is as modern as the hour. The chassis is a 507-pound carbon-fiber monocoque with dramatic front-hinged scissor doors that’s nearly 13 feet long, 4 feet tall and roughly 5 1/2 feet wide. It’s a streamlined shape that appears to have been carefully sculpted by artists. But Walter de’Silva, head of VW’s Design Group, says, «The car came out of the wind tunnel like that.» Even so, the felt-tip fairies spent over two years nibbling away at the XL1’s details to improve the aerodynamics; «it was incredibly intensive,» says de’Silva.

In the last decade, the VW Group has been working on ways to make carbon-fiber bodies reliably and economically. This method, known as advanced resin transfer molding, allows the carbon fibers to be aligned in the direction of the forces, before they are shaped and mixed with resin and formed in the molds. With Austrian specialists Carbo Tech Composites, VW is using a similar construction method for the forthcoming Lamborghini Aventador supercar, but the carbon-fiber chassis is still some 80 to 100 times more expensive than one made from conventional stamped-steel panels. Dr. Harald Ludanek, VW’s head of vehicle engineering, says, «To do this car in aluminium would have resulted in a 20 percent increase in weight, but it would have been 40 times less expensive.»

Driving the rear wheels is essentially half a 1.6-liter TDI turbodiesel engine. It’s an all-aluminium unit, using plasma-sprayed bores instead of iron liners. Displacing 0.8 liter, it produces 47 hp and 88.5 lb-ft of torque. A 27-hp, 74 lb-ft electric motor is sandwiched between the engine and a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission. A 5-kwh lithium-ion battery pack lives in the rear with the powertrain. In normal hybrid operation, XL1 starts in electric mode and stays until the driver floors the throttle, speeds exceed 62 mph, or the battery is depleted below 20 percent of maximum charge. There’s an EV-only mode, in which the car remains on electric power until the battery has just 10 percent of its charge (typically about 22 miles), whereupon the motor starts to charge it and drive the wheels. Recharge time with 240 volts is just over an hour. The XL1’s top speed is limited to 99 mph, and it can accelerate to 62 mph in 11.9 seconds. Fuel economy is tricky to determine since fuel use is supplemented by electrons, but on the NEDC (Europe’s version of the EPA) Combined cycle, the XL1 returned 261.4, which should provide a 340-mile range from the paltry 1.8-gallon fuel tank.

Производство и продажи

Производство началось к середине 2013 года и будет ограничено 250 единицами. К началу сентября 2013 года было построено 50 единиц, а оставшиеся 200 XL1 планировалось сдать. построен во втором квартале 2014 года. Цены начинались с 111 000 евро. XL1 был доступен только в Европе. Розничные поставки начались в Германии в июне 2014 года.

Из 250 единиц, которые должны были быть произведены, 200 должны были быть проданы для розничных клиентов. Volkswagen начал процесс регистрации для заинтересованных клиентов, который завершился 18 октября 2013 года. Поскольку более 200 потенциальных покупателей зарегистрировались, был проведен розыгрыш для выбора клиентов с опцией покупки имеющихся автомобилей. Им был предложен договор купли-продажи а после внесения залога в размере 20000 евро договор купли-продажи XL1 был заключен nding.

Серийная версия

В феврале 2012 года Volkswagen подтвердил, что будет производить ограниченную серию XL1, начиная с 2013 года. Серийная версия подключаемого дизель-электрического гибрида был представлен на Женевском автосалоне 2013 .

Как и концепт XL1 2011 года, он оснащен двухцилиндровым дизельным двигателем 800 см мощностью 35 кВт (47 л.с.) и электродвигателем 20 кВт (27 л.с.). Суммарная выходная мощность составляет 51 кВт (68 л.с.), а крутящий момент составляет 140 Н · м (100 фунт-фут ). Мощность передается на задние колеса через семиступенчатую коробку передач с двойным сцеплением. Коэффициент лобового сопротивления немного увеличился с 0,186 до 0,189. Серийная версия обеспечивает запас хода в 50 км (31 милю) с полностью электрическим приводом, а также 10-литровый топливный бак, который позволяет проехать более 400 км (250 миль) в реальной жизни, пока автомобиль нуждается в дозаправке.

В феврале 2013 года Volkswagen объявил, что ожидает, что расход топлива XL1 составит 0,9 л / 100 км (260 миль на галлон ‑US ; 310 миль на галлон ‑Imp) и выбросы CO. 21 г / км 2. Цикл испытаний позволяет перезаряжать аккумулятор каждые 75 км (47 миль), что приводит к высокому значению миль на галлон.

Используя только дизельное топливо, автомобиль способен расходовать до 2,0 л / 100 км (120 миль на галлон ‑US ; 140 миль на галлон ‑imp). Один рецензент обнаружил, что в реальном движении, с включенным кондиционером и без попыток гипермилинга, автомобиль способен надежно расходовать 2,3 л / 100 км (100 миль на галлон ‑US ; 120 миль на галлон ‑Imp).

The Bottom Line

«The XL1 is a genuine Volkswagen, which could come into small series production in 2013,» says Professor Martin Winterkorn, VW chairman. His boss, Dr. Piëch, says it should be «built in reasonable numbers» and «affordable.» Let’s read between the lines here. With its advanced resin transfer molding system, VW can make an absolute maximum of 24 carbon-fiber bodies a day and would have to take a financial loss on each one to make the car affordable. Most likely, the German giant will build a couple thousand XL1s and use the car’s powertrain for other fuel-economy specials. How much will the XL1 cost? No one from VW would say, but I’d guess a ceiling of $65,000 in the U.K., where a fully loaded Golf GTI costs about $42,000. Do you want one? You bet you do. The XL1 is a new breed of supercar, one that is every bit as extravagant, technical, beautiful and exotic as a Lamborghini or a Ferrari, but that points to a new kind of world where we understand that natural resources are finite and precious, and maybe a new style of driving where we try to conserve them.

Just how efficient in the VW XL1 in real-world driving conditions?

After 135 miles, by now in test vehicle number three, the computer readout claimed 176.6mpg, at an average speed of 23.1mph – that´s very slow, even for Switzerland and a remaining range of 204km. But these figures don´t tell the whole story. Why? Because I did less well in test vehicles one and two, where the consumption hovered around the 141.2mpg mark. True, that´s an excellent result for a two-seater which can top 100mph when no one is looking, but from a driver´s perspective it is a below par performance in this competitive group of ambitious pussy-footers.What I shared with the eco pros was the unexpected fascination of slow speed, the joy of changing direction with a totally unassisted steering, the brakes’ double role as competent provider and annihilator of energy, a new perception of the throttle’s talents which is in this case progressive to the point of feeling lazy as well as totally instantaneous, and of course the dynamic kick of a mid-mounted powerplant driving the rear wheels. Not to mention the eerie pleasure of mingling with the most dedicated mpg junkies who automatically idle heating and air con, won´t demist steamed up windows or listen to the radio, and even try to avoid switching on lights in a tunnel.

We never rushed in the claimed 12.7sec from 0-62mph, and the fastest we saw on the digital speedometer was 78mph. But once, only once, the devil inside took over and made Herr Engineer in the passenger seat unhappy for the rest of the day, because five or ten clicks later his dream of winning the efficiency trophy was over. Apologies for doing what I had to do: stretch the right hoof in the direction of Geneva, change from seventh into fourth via kickdown, and then overtake three cars in a row with an angrily snarling TDI yelling yippieh! through that sleepy valley.There is no doubt about it: this low and narrow aero wedge with the mean-looking LED headlights and the spaceship rear end is not only a great fuel miser but also an object lesson in vehicle dynamics. The steering is honest and keen, the chassis is firm and stable, the brakes are prompt and well balanced, the skinny tyres have more grip than that small contact patch suggests, engine and motor are really something when they fuse power and torque.

The wheelbase is long enough for decent directional stability on fast straights and short enough for carving through hairpins and waltzing through esses. It would have been wonderful to keep up that brisk Tour de Suisse momentum, but the numbers on the in-dash monitor suggested otherwise: consumption 156mpg, SOC 9.5percent, EV mode currently not available. The guilty conscience sat heavy on my shoulders for the rest of the trip to Geneva. At the final destination, the XL1 first consoled itself at the pump and then at the wall charger.

Third evolutionary stage of a vision

Conceptually, the XL1 represents the third evolutionary stage of Volkswagen’s 1-liter car strategy. When the new millennium was ushered in, Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Piëch, who is today Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG, formulated the goal of bringing to market a production car that was practical in everyday use with fuel consumption of one liter per 100 km. In the twoseat XL1, this goal has been reached. Despite the efficiency of the XL1, developers successfully came up with a body concept, which delivers more everyday utility than in the two previous prototypes. While the driver and passenger sat in a tandem arrangement for optimal aerodynamics in the L1, the 1-liter car presented in 2002 and in 2009, in the XL1 two occupants sit slightly offset, side by side, nearly as in a conventional vehicle.

On the road in the VW XL1

We are ready to go, and after pushing the starter button, activating EV mode and pulling the transmission lever in Drive, so is the car. The six-hour tour will take us from Luzern near Zurich to Geneva near the French border. The route provides a challenging mix of city traffic, autobahn sections and B-roads as well as plenty of steep climbs and descents. In town, the 795kg eye-catcher is a silent battery cruiser which unleashes 103lb ft of clean energy torque whenever you depress the accelerator – which one does with maximum restraint. After all, every overtaking manoeuvre is instantly reflected by the range indicator, the state of charge display and ultimately also by the fuel gauge. More than once, unassuming pedestrians stepped into our flight path because they simply did not hear the whispering ground-bound blimp approaching them from behind. Inside the beautifully finished cocoon-like cabin, however, the XL1 makes all sorts of strange and unusual noises.

The carbon-ceramic brake discs tend to rumble and chafe when not used hard, the suspension responds to potholes with random thumps and plops, and under trailing throttle the transmission can sound like an ancient coffee grinder.

In theory, a full charge should make the 5.5kWh lithium ion energy cells take the car over a distance of 30 miles. In reality, however, it is almost impossible to maintain the steady pace required to reach this goal. That´s why it is advisable to switch to hybrid mode as soon as the speed quickens and whenever there are mountains to climb. The two-pot TDI cuts in and out with pursed clutch plates, but especially when still cold, its working noises sound – in contrast to EV silence – like an air hammer trespassing through a quiet zone. Whenever the diesel is taking charge, the batteries can take some rest. While lifting off and coasting are the easiest tricks in the book, braking takes some getting used to because the transition from recuperation to deceleration is a little rough sometimes. After about one hour, you barely ever touch the brake pedal anymore: the XL1 is a clear case of fuel economy by foresight.

Although the consumption readout should be the pivotal gauge in a one-litre car, our eyes are instead glued to the state of charge indicator. In this difficult environment and in this kind of car, every climb is your worst enemy, every descent is your closest ally.