Volkswagen XL1 Concept Vehicle | Debuts At MoMA Gala In New York City

Flanked by celebrities Rose Byrne, Padma Lakshmi, Chloe Sevigny, and Lucy Lui, carmaker Volkswagen unveiled its XL1 prototype at this week’s celebratory dinner at Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. While the vehicle made its global debut at Doha, Qatar earlier this year, the New York City event marked the XL1′s first appearance to the consuming public. Slated as a prototype and test vehicle, the goal of the XL1 is permit VW engineers to acquire a better understanding in the “future of mobility”.

By pushing the envelopes, VW was able to attain a fuel consumption of only 1-liter per 100 km, or 62 miles. And unlike other concept vehicles, the construction of XL1 utilized mostly pre-existing parts. Aside from its CFRP body, the 0.8-liter TDI (a smaller version of the 1.6-liter), the E-motor, transmission, and vehicle interior, all are derivatives from components in current VW model line. While the likelihood of this plug-in hybrid prototype to be a product model is slim. Many of its elements, both aesthetic and technical, will be apply in future VW models.