The 2010 Volkswagen Up! Lite concept vehicle would be, at 70 mpg, the world's most fuel-efficient 4-seater, but there are no production plans.
Think of the annual industry gathering in Los Angeles, this week as auto show light. The 2009 L.A. Auto Show is bringing with it the debut of an assortment of downsized cars, crossovers and concept vehicles, including the Volkswagen Up! Lite show car.
That’s the latest spinoff from VW’s new minicar platform, the first model, dubbed Up!, getting ready for launch next year. The German maker has been actively showing off a variety of spinoffs, some geared for production, others, like Up! Lite, serving as a platform to try out new technology and gauge consumer reaction.
The three-door, with an advanced hybrid drivetrain under the hood, is laying claim to being the world’s most fuel-efficient four-seater, at least in concept form. The drivetrain consists of a micro-sized, 0.8-liter turbodiesel generating about 50 horsepower mated to a 15 hp electric motor. It’s the same system used in the L1 tandem two-seat concept vehicle shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show, last September.
The VW Up! Lite concept makes extensive use of aerodynamics to improve fuel economy, replacing conventional mirrors with these "winglets" containing rearview cameras.
The engine and motor are connected to a 7-speed direct-shift gearbox, or DSG, an electrically-shifted manual like the one in the production VW Polo.
On the road, Up! Lite would be able to run short distances on battery power alone, otherwise using battery assist during acceleration, and regenerative braking to boost fuel economy. In European terms, this is a 2-liter car, one that can get 100 kilometers (62.5 miles) on two liters of gas. In American terms, that would translate into a highway fuel economy rating of 70 mpg.
But Dr. Uli Hackenberg, VW’s technology chief, insists the Up! Lite is no stone pony. It can launch from 0 to 60 in a reasonable 12 seconds and hit a top speed of 100 mph.
To maximize mileage, the Volkswagen Up! Lite project team took steps to minimize weight – using aluminum, plastic and carbon fiber – and maximize aerodynamics. Instead of mirrors, for example, there are cameras mounted in wind-cheating “winglets,” their images displayed via monitors on the instrument panel.
“Our mission,” says Up! Lite design director Claus Bischoff, “was to create a futuristic design that highlights (the concept car’s) futuristic design.”
To cut weight, the VW Up! Lite uses aluminum, plastic and, shown here for the wheels, carbon fiber.
Some other interesting features include the 10-spoke carbon fiber wheels and the integrated rear spoiler. Surprisingly roomy inside, Up! Lite squeezes in room for 30 cubic feet of cargo space.
Production plans? Probably not, concedes Hackenberg, adding that the show car is “an important test for us,” an opportunity to try out individual concepts and components that may, on their own, eventually find a place on a future VW model.