Reply #27: The best VW Golf gets 74.3mpg on the combined cycle

[muriel_volestrangler]

http://www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk/search/vehicleDetails.asp?id=25188

That's the one they compare the XL1 to here: "To travel at a constant speed of 100 km/h, the prototype only needs 6.2 kW/8.4 PS - a fraction of the performance of today's cars (Golf 1.6 TDI with 77 kW and 7-speed DSG: 13.2 kW/17.9 PS)."

Since the total drag of the XL1 is 2.5 times lower than that of the Golf, and the diesel engine is basically half the Golf engine, this is not entirely surprising.

Remember these are the Imperial gallon figures; but the best 4 seater diesels (a VW Polo, and the Skoda Fabia - which has the same engine) get 83.1 mpg. That would be 60 mpg (US).