COLOGNE, GERMANY – There’s a lot to be said for doing things just because you can. It’s an endeavour of the human spirit, to take on a challenge just to see where the limits lie, and to constantly strive to stretch those limits. We climbed Mount Everest, because we can. We went to the moon, because we can. And so on and so forth.

Building a car is not quite on that same level of scale as those feats, but even so, there is still some scope for pushing the envelope. The most obvious area for extreme automotive achievement is of course speed, with man and machine constantly finding new ways to go even faster and set velocity records for as long as the car’s been around.

Volkswagen are no strangers to pushing boundaries, of course, having introduced to the world the record-breaking Bugatti Veyron supercar. But in this eco-conscious 21st century environment, such wanton excesses might come across as rather politically incorrect. So where then, do carmakers go in order to show the world what they’re capable of?

Enter the XL1. Possibly a strong contender for the most fuel-efficient production car ever made, the XL1 was born out of Volkswagen board chairman Ferdinand Piech’s vision of creating a car that can achieve the astonishing fuel consumption figure of 1 litre per 100km. At the same time, Piech decreed that such a car has to be viable for mass production, and be practical enough for daily usage. A tough task for sure.

The result, after over a decade of refinement, is what you see here. Clearly, the XL1 is as futuristic as they come, looking like nothing else on the road, and attracting curious stares from interested passers-by. The whole car looks rather tiny in the metal, like one of those kiddy pedal cars that’s been slightly over-designed. The measuring tape does confirm the XL1’s petite size though; at 3,888mm long and 1,153mm tall, it’s shorter than a Polo and lower than a Porsche Boxster.

Nothing about the XL1 is ‘normal’ in the traditional road car vein. To enter, you pop open the supercar-like gullwing doors, and clamber in gingerly like it’s some sort of Lotus, since the car is so low. The one-piece bucket seats offer no fore and aft movement, and only tilt slightly up and down, and your general seating position ends up being almost racecar-like, with your legs pointing upwards towards the pedals. And then you start the car (wait for the ‘Ready’ signal before you engage Drive), stretch up to pull down the doors, and off you go…

First thing you instantly notice is that the XL1 has no wing mirrors. Instead, there is a screen integrated in either door, matched to rearward-facing cameras mounted outside to let you know what’s behind you. It does take a while to get used to, and one suspects that a few early adopters might get freaked out by the idea.

Younger drivers (like myself) would also find the XL1’s lack of steering assistance decidedly alien, but because the car is so light (just 795kg), and also because of the very skinny wheels, it doesn’t feel at all taxing to manoeuvre. Again, it’s a matter of getting acquainted with the car, and older drivers might even enjoy the extra feel that the non-power steering provides.

It must be emphasised that the XL1 is a hybrid, and not a pure electric car. While it can run on the electric motor alone (and Volkswagen recommend that you do so in built-up areas), you’ll only get a measly 50km of range thus powered. For it to be a viable long-range travelling option, you need to activate the diesel engine by switching off EV mode.

Upon which, you’ll be assaulted by a noise coming from the rear that has been variously described as ranging from a “machine gun rattle” to an “air hammer”. It’s a bit of a shock, and can be a bit unpleasant, but it only comes round when you’re really pushing along and utilising the engine for more power. The noise disappears when you’re coasting or slowing down, and when the car reverts to battery use. For the most part the XL1 functions best as a city car anyway, since it’s not exactly supercar fast. 0-100km/h comes in 12.7 seconds, and top speed is limited to 160km/h, which makes Autobahn travelling, especially in a car this small, a slightly hairy experience.

But refinement is not the XL1’s core strength in the first place. Its sole primary purpose is to achieve Piech’s target, and that it does, with some ease too. Low kerb weight, an aerodynamic design with a drag coefficient of just 0.189, and the diesel-hybrid combination has come together to help the XL1 return an official fuel consumption figure of 0.9 litres per 100km. And, noisy engine aside, it is a car that you can feasibly use every day in the city.

The cost of all that engineering though is huge, with the XL1 reported to be retailing for nearly 100,000 Euros when it goes on sale in Europe later this year. It is probably for that reason, along with the fact that production will be limited to just 250 units, that we might not see this wondrous car on our roads. For what it’s worth, it’ll probably stand beside the Veyron as one of the automotive world’s all time greats. Volkswagen has shown us once again what can be achieved if we really try.

NEED TO KNOW
Engine 800cc, two-cylinder TDI turbo diesel
Power 48bhp
Torque 120Nm
Motor 27bhp, 140Nm
Battery 5.5kWh, lithium ion
Gearbox Seven-speed dual-clutch
System Total 68bhp, 140Nm
Top Speed 160km/h
0-100kmh 12.7 seconds
Fuel Efficiency 0.9L/100km
CO2 21g/km
Price Not Available
Availability Not Available

Also Consider: smart electric drive

Photos by Volkswagen