Volkswagen XL3
Volkswagen is placing a bespoke rival
for the Toyota Prius sat the heart of
radical plans to increase the amount of electrified vehicles in its line-up by
2020. The car could take the Volkswagen XL3 name.
As it continues to suffer from ongoing
criticism over its handling of the Dieselgate scandal, the manufacturer has
decided to accelerate its investment in a set of all-electric and hybrid
components. As part of this, it will extend its EV line-up to include a new standalone
model to sit alongside the likes of the GTE-badged plug-in hybrid Passat and
Golf and the all-electric Golf and up! in the range.
VW’s new electric platform is likely to
be called MEB – although it’s expected to be largely compatible with MQB,
allowing electric cars to built on the same lines as conventionally powered
vehicles.
Sources in Germany suggest the Prius
rival could get the XL3 badge. That would give it lineage with VW’s XL1
concept, a gruff but aerodynamic show car that achieved fuel consumption of
less than one litre per 100 kilometres, or 283 mpg.
The XL3 is likely to mix an electric
motor producing around 30 bhp with a detuned version of VW’s 1.4-litre
turbocharged petrol engine, and feature cylinder deactivation to save even more
fuel. It’s expected to have a relatively modest battery and an electric-only
range of only a few miles but overall fuel consumption of more than 94 mpg, or
three litres per 100 kilometres.
Beyond the hybrid, the company is also
working towards a fully electric vehicle. VW Group boss Matthias Müller has
given strong indications of the technical targets of the project. “Cars with
all-electric ranges of over 500km [around 300 miles] are feasible by the end of
the decade,” he said.
