Volkswagen is debuting a concept car at the inaugural Qatar Motor Show the manufacturer says can travel 313 miles on a gallon of diesel and emits only about 1.5 ounces of carbon dioxide per mile.
The XL1, which seats two adults, combines a 0.8 litre, two-cylinder diesel engine with an electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery. It’s constructed around a carbon fiber reinforced polymer monocoque to reduce the weighs only 1,750 pounds.
Volkswagen says the futuristic car negotiate the standard 0-60 mph test in 11.9 seconds.
Speculation has Volkswagen beginning production of the XL1 in 2013.
Article Last Updated: August 22, 2021.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to this site, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and a monthly auto review column for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, James has co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast since 2017.