2014 Volkswagen XL1 First Drive

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,316
edited September 2014 in General

image2014 Volkswagen XL1 First Drive

Read Edmunds' first drive of the 2014 Volkswagen XL1 for on-road driving impressions, specs, photos and more.

Read the full story here


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  • xtremepsionicxtremepsionic Member Posts: 7
    VW should be proud of their achievement. It is a supercar in an entirely different sense. As impractical as the LaFerrari for mere mortals and people who drive on public roads (crazy prices in terms of being a transportation device), however, as the technology trickles down to main stream cars, everyone will benefit.

    Here's to hoping all the exotic materials will start to come down in price and we'll get carbon fiber Golf GTIs one day!
  • uncanny_manuncanny_man Member Posts: 11
    Looks like a tiny Tatra
  • throwbackthrowback Member Posts: 445
    ".. the Volkswagen XL1 has no rear window.."

    Is that legal? I am a muscle car kinda of guy, but I have loved this concept since Piech drove a prototype to a VW board meeting a few years back. Too bad this car will be reportedly pushing 100k in price.
  • throwbackthrowback Member Posts: 445
    ".. the Volkswagen XL1 has no rear window.."

    Is that legal? I am a muscle car kinda of guy, but I have loved this concept since Piech drove a prototype to a VW board meeting a few years back. Too bad this car will be reportedly pushing 100k in price.
  • quadricyclequadricycle Member Posts: 827
    Cool stuff! I love "projects" such as this, pushing the boundaries of what machines can do for us. This also reenforces my opinion that the weight of today's automobiles is a problem in terms of performance and economy.
  • quadricyclequadricycle Member Posts: 827
    Cool stuff! I love "projects" such as this, pushing the boundaries of what machines can do for us. This also reenforces my opinion that the weight of today's automobiles is a problem in terms of performance and economy.
  • cracknutcracknut Member Posts: 17
    It's the big-name automaker version of the Aptera.
  • sleazymacsleazymac Member Posts: 2
    I'm fairly certain I saw this design in Total Recall...
  • cracknutcracknut Member Posts: 17
    It's the big-name automaker version of the Aptera.
  • sleazymacsleazymac Member Posts: 2
    I'm fairly certain I saw this design in Total Recall...
  • morey000morey000 Member Posts: 384
    "and on electricity and diesel together you can cover 310 miles before plugging in or refueling."

    Really? VW only put a 1 gallon gas tank in there? I'm guessing this is an incorrect number.

    Is there any storage space at all?
  • joe_scubajoe_scuba Member Posts: 2
    So it looks like the GM EVO
  • engineermdengineermd Member Posts: 9
    I want one of these so bad... It's the closest I can get to a car like in Demolition man... It's just totally bad [non-permissible content removed] in that De Larion kind of way. If I hit the lotto... I will import a couple ;).
  • flapsmcgeeflapsmcgee Member Posts: 0
    Would bang.
  • flapsmcgeeflapsmcgee Member Posts: 0
    Alright the comments finally work now! Can you please put the comments back to the bottom of the article instead of having to scroll up and click to a new screen to find the stupid comments that other people make.
  • pickypunditpickypundit Member Posts: 3
    Once again, Americans will be deprived of an outstanding effort by a European car company. When will we be considered other than the Red-Headed Step-Child of auto markets before we can get our hands on one?
  • yamahr1yamahr1 Member Posts: 9
    Here's the problem I have with your journalism. Here you've supposedly driven the car, and covered it in detail, and yet you've simply bolstered VW's claim of "261 mpg on the official drive cycle" in Europe without any real data to back it up. The obvious question, one you neither asked nor answered, is what is the actual mileage when the battery charge is depleted? In the U.S., plug-in hybrids and extended range EVs (like the Volt) get 2 separate, fairly meaningful ratings. One is the MPGe when running on electricity only, and the other is MPG after the charge is spent and it basically runs like any other hybrid. I can easily exceed VW's claim of 261 MPG in my Volt by simply not driving further than its EV range.

    When the Volt was being introduced to the American press, they had a similar projection for an EPA cycle, and it was 230 MPG. I don't think you stood for that for more than 5 minutes, and in the long run the EPA came up with new ways to rate such cars. Now VW is doing basically the same thing with the historically generous European cycle and you're seemingly promoting it.

    I have no doubt this VW will be very efficient. But until we know its real world gas-only economy, we really have no way of evaluating the degree of VW's achievement. One thing I did learn from this article is that it can only go up to 44 mph without starting to burn fuel, and in that sense, I stand a much better chance of never buying gas in my much cheaper and more practical Chevy Volt than I would in this exotic hyper-miler.
  • applianceappliance Member Posts: 5
    I'm conflicted regarding exercises like this. They certainly show what's possible - that's good - but they make the future look both unattainable and unnecessarily alien.

    The honda insight was a full production vehicle that, while odd, was fully usable on the road, affordable and very efficient for 12 years ago. They also have a lovely fuel cell vehicle now.

    Also tesla makes Teslas.

    What I'm trying to say here is, if the luddites wanted to argue how awful the future of cars would be if the "socialist" state mandated huge efficiencies, this would be their poster child.
  • danwat1234danwat1234 Member Posts: 27
    I agree with Yamahr1.
    Somehow I doubt Edmunds really drove the car for any amount of time. No testing of mileage claims, which I am sure are exaggerated even if you always plug it in and never use the diesel engine.

    Sport mode is not a mode in which regenerative braking is more aggressive! That is called 'brake mode'.

    I too relate the VW to the Aptera and also the GM Ultralite, the latter of which was on Demolition Man.
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