Volkswagen is already the big cheese when it comes to car manufacturing, and as if that wasn’t enough they are now intent on becoming top of the class when it comes to being the greenest too.
At the recent LA Auto Show, Volkswagen revealed the world’s most efficient four-seater car, the Up! Lite which is a sporty, diesel hybrid. The name of the super-efficient car is due to the incredibly low kerb weight.
The Up! Lite, dubbed new small family car, is the latest member in VW’s line-up of Up! Concepts and is due to debut in the UK with the original model in 2011.
Obviously, the Up! Lite is based on many of the production parts of the forthcoming Up! range, and had originally been engineered to be rear-engined and rear-drive. However, the matrix has now been changed to a more conventional front-engined, front-drive layout.
The car’s super smooth and aerodynamic body is made from a combination of aluminium, steel and carbon fibre making it weigh in at a mere 695kg. It has a new two-cylinder TDi diesel engine, producing 50bhp and is mated to a 10kW electric motor, which acts as a starter, alternator and power source for zero-emissions running. The engine drives via a seven-speed DSG transmission and has a start/stop function which helps give the Up! Lite its remarkable combined fuel economy figure of just 115mpg and CO2 emissions of 65g/km.
Although the Up! Lite won’t go on sale in its current form, it is being described as ‘a step towards a viable production car’, and the engine that powers it offers a preview of what to expect from VW in the coming years.
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