Volkswagen, the German automobile manufacturer, had excluded its new model Up! from its line up during the 2012 New Delhi Auto Expo. Instead of Volkswagen Up! the company came up with another new model, namely XL1 diesel hybrid, which has been designed to impress its customers with maximum fuel efficiency. The XL1 diesel hybrid model offers unmatched fuel efficiency of 60 kmpl.
According to sources, the upcoming Volkswagen Up! would be equipped with the diesel engine that was featured in the XL1 concept model. The German automaker has already introduced an electric model in the market and would soon launch a diesel hybrid alternative in the small car segment.
It is expected that Volkswagen will display the diesel hybrid model of Up! at the Geneva Motor Show that will kick start in March 2012. The new diesel hybrid model would be assimilated with an 800 cc, 2 cylinder engine. This small twin cylinder diesel unit is being used in place of the popular 1.2 L TDI motor, which is widely used in cars like Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Fabia.
The 800 cc engine is capable of producing maximum power of 48 hp and peak torque of 112 Nm. In order to facilitate smooth gear shifts, Volkswagen has equipped a 7 speed manual DSG double clutch gearbox in the Up! model. A balancing shaft has been assimilated in the car so that the motor can handle the vibrations produced by the twin cylinder unit owing to its in-built design.
Once launched, Up! will be ranked among one of the most fuel efficient cars in the world. As the demand for diesel cars is rising in India, Volkswagen is confident of achieving success in the Indian automobile market with the fuel efficient hybrid Up!
