According to a report from Autocar, VW is putting the finishing touches on an economical version of the Up! city car that borrows its powertrain from the XL1 concept. Expected to be badged as the Up! Blue-e-motion, this fuel-sipping city car utilizes a twin-cylinder, 800cc turbodiesel engine that’s claimed to crank out 47 horsepower. The diesel mill will be attached to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and coupled to 26 hp electric motor that assists in motivating the Blue-e-motion during standing starts and under hard acceleration.
Unfortunately, the city car’s battery pack is not capable of spitting out sufficient juice to allow the Up! to travel under electric power alone. However, the Up! Blue-e-motion’s diesel-electric powertrain, which integrates a seamless stop-start system, is expected to return an astonishing 95 miles per gallon (79.1 mpg U.S.). That’s not quite 260 mpg, but we’ll take it. Hat tip to David!
[Source: Autocar]
