SPY PICS: Volkswagen XL1

Volkswagen revealed its XL1 turbodiesel hybrid at the 2011 Qatar motor show and the ‘1-litre car’ (so named because it’s claimed to consume just 1L/100km) has now been captured in prototype form ahead of its 2013 launch.

The new Carparazzi images alongside are of a lightly disguised prototype, but it's still possible to make out that the essence of the car is largely as per last year’s concept car, barring the addition of elements such as conventional wing mirrors.

According to VW, the concept boasted a drag coefficient of just 0.186, which is 2.5 times lower than a contemporary Golf, and it weighed just 795kg – more or less lineball with the Golf Mark 1 of 1974.

The secret to its waiflike girth is the fact that just 23.2 per cent of the car (184 kg) is made out of either steel or iron, with the remainder fabricated from carbonfibre, alloys and high-tech plastics. Nestled within the car’s swoopy bodywork is a two-cylinder 800cc turbodiesel engine that ekes out 35kW and 121Nm, channeled to the rear wheels via a seven-speed DSG transmission.

Complementing the combustion engine is an electric motor that kicks in with 20kW and 100Nm of torque. The electric motor can work in parallel with the diesel or drive the car independent of it and VW claims the XL1 can travel up to 35km on electric power alone when fully charged.

Dimensionally, the XL1 is similar to a Polo, measuring 3970mm in length and 1682mm across the bows. That said, it has a baby supercar stance owing to its super-low 1184mm roofline. Obviously it doesn’t offer supercar performance, as its two-pot diesel and electric motor make for a leisurely 0-100km/h sprint of 11.9sec and a top whack of 158km/h.

Although not visible in these images, it’s expected the interior will take inspiration from that of the showcar, which featured an immaculately styled cabin with a flat-bottomed steering wheel.

— with Carparazzi

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site…