Volkswagen introduces conventional hybrid vehicle

SINCE the dawn of the combustion age, true car nuts have disdained gas mileage as the obsession of the weak-minded and unskilled; there’s no bigger punchline in the business than the Toyota Prius.

  The success of the Tesla Model S has begun to change the culture, but when it comes to supercars, faster and more powerful roughly equals better, while efficiency gets dismissed with prejudice.

Well, the Volkswagen XL1 may be the transformative alternative-energy vehicle, the one that finally arouses the car fiend from his gas-hungry stupor.  

  The XL1 is a different conception of a car, a German engineer’s dream of hyper-miling.

  It contains no driving joy or spirit, just lots of cool, stripped-down design details, an anschulss of movement and MPG that gets an average of 262 mpg. This is ze car we’ve been waiting for.

 The XL-1 doesn’t have a rear-view mirror, which makes sense, since it also doesn’t have a rear window.

  Other things not present in this car: Wheels thicker than a street bike’s, a backseat, or any semblance of wind resistance.

  It has a drag coefficient of 0.189, which, if you’re not keeping score, is almost impossibly low, less that your average bumblebee’s.

  Because of this, its engineers claim the XL1 can glide at reasonable speed on the autobahn using only eight horsepower.

  The XL1 looks like a Blade Runner hovercar and drives like something from Disneyland’s Autopia, but without the attendant stink.

  Though it has an “S” mode, which ostensibly means “sport,” you’d be hard-pressed to detect such a function in the powertrain.

  The XL1 represents the car as blue-ribbon science fair project. But unlike other megacars, which are built to maximise speed and power, this one, more than ten years and upward of a billion dollars in the designing, contains not one centimeter of wasted space or poundage.

  The engineers eliminated power steering because it would have added 10 kilograms.

  For maximum lightness, the core of its body and chassis is comprised of a one-piece molded carbon-fiber monocoque.

  The magnesium wheels get wrapped in custom-light Michelin rubber. The windows lower with hand cranks. There’s no radio — the sound system wraps through the Garmin GPS — and no place to plug in your smartphone, because Bluetooth is lighter.

 All of this results in a car that weighs 1,753 lbs. Under its rear hatch lies a two-cylinder diesel that generates 47 hp, which would have been fairly weak in 1960, much less in the era where the average Hyundai generates up to 200 hp.

  The XL1 has a 27-hp electric battery, which can propel it about 31 miles on its own, up to 62 mph.

  It can fully recharge, Volkswagen says, in an hour and a half.

   The maximum speed overall, using the full hybrid drivetrain, is 94 mph. There’s a 2.6-gallon fuel tank, which lets the XL1 achieve a total range of 310 miles — since it can’t be run at maximum efficiency all of the time.

  The car is a design marvel, with a front that looks as smooth and modern as a Mercedes S-class, and a rear that doesn’t so much taper off as disappear into the void.

  Even the rear wheels are hidden by metal coverings, making it look like the car is balancing entirely on its forelegs. When viewed from the rear, XL1 is angular and beautiful, a shiny metal bolt, or maybe a super suppository.



  In true supercar fashion, the doors open in dramatic gull-wing style, making the XL1 look like a personalized drone.

  When both are up, the car’s cockpit manifests dramatically, like a robot Easter egg.

  The trunk opens with less style, but contains a nifty-looking carbon-fiber XL1 logo, and enough cargo space to hold a small weekend bag.

  Inside, the seats are high-end canvas, looking appreciably cool and sporty. Everything else is streamlined and light. The steering wheel has a flat bottom, like a race car’s, or at least a racing simulator’s. In general, “simulated” is the best way to describe the way the XL-1 drives.

  To repeat, the car has no rear-view mirror. It also doesn’t have side mirrors, which the engineers replaced to reduce drag. In their place are side-mounted cameras, meaning that when you drive the car, you have to watch two camera feeds at once at once to not only monitor your blind spots, but every spot.

  The XL1’s other quirks, like the whooshing sound of the carbon-disc brakes, the strange growly noises the engine makes in diesel mode, and the lack of power steering, not to mention the raw, low overall feel of the ride.

 You have to sacrifice a little comfort and performance. But for a car you need to drive yourself, one that contains no lane-departure warnings or other modern safety features, not having a rear-view mirror is just dangerous.

   The XL1 was actually better to drive at higher speeds. It got up to 140 kmh in due time, and held its speed without trouble. Sure enough, I could feel the glide. It was almost counter-intuitive. These kinds of cars are supposed to be better in the city, but this one almost felt like a cross-country runner, tireless, with hidden reserves. Also, there wasn’t as much traffic, so it removed a certain level of panic from the experience.

    Volkswagen has made 50 of them so far. They’re using a few for test-driving, and the rest are currently in the hands of fortunate Eurozone residents who won an essay contest about green energy and urban design.  

  The plan, VW says, is to manufacture about 250 total, but they won’t say whether they plan to sell or less them, won’t say exactly when, and won’t give an idea about how much they’re going to cost. It’s only going to be Europe, though; residents of North America will either have to spot a rarity in the wild or see one in a museum in the future.

 There’s also no indication of what extraordinary XL1 related tech, other than the two-cylinder hybrid drive-train, already in use in VW’s Up! budget compact, will appear in other Volkswagen group cars.

IF your car is an investment, buying one should be as much about the return on that investment in the long run as it is about getting from here to there now.

  While it’s tough to think long term about an investment that depreciates in value as soon as it leaves the lot, it’s not as if the value of that vehicle immediately falls off a cliff.    

 Unless you decide to run it into the ground or buy a model not known for its longevity, there’s still going to be some resale value down the road.

  The folks at auto pricing and valuation site Kelley Blue Book note that depreciation costs a car owner more than gas, maintenance or insurance during the first five years of new-car ownership.

  Kelley Blue Book has been publishing its residual value guide since 1981 and knows a thing or two about resale value.

  The 2013 model year has been extremely kind to Toyota Motors, thought not so much to Detroit Three loyalists.  

  Toyota and its Lexus division were named best brand and best luxury brand, respectively, for their ability to retain their cars’ value over the first five years of ownership.

  Despite the automaker’s spate of recalls and its struggles after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in 2011, Toyota took six out of KBB’s 22 vehicle categories while Lexus won two of three luxury categories (the Porsche Panamera won best high-end luxury car).

  Though Honda Motor Company swept the small and midsized car categories and Toyota won both pickup honours, the Detroit automakers weren’t completely shut out.

  The Ford Fusion Hybrid won best hybrid/alternative energy car over the Lexus ES 300h, General Motors’ (GM) Chevy Volt won best electric car over the Toyota Prius Plug-In and GM’s Chevy Camaro took best sports car and best high-performance car ahead of the Porsche Boxter and Lexus IS.

  There are only a handful of cars that give owners a big portion of their investment back five years later.

  According to Kelley Blue Book, the following vehicles are a car buyer’s best chance of getting half their money back or more once it’s time to sell:

 Toyota FJ Cruiser

MSRP: $26,880

Resale value retained after five years: 63 per cent, no other vehicle comes close to the resale value of Toyota’s odd-looking midsize SUV.

  It looks like it’s getting ready to invade a country and is equipped as such. Its available four-wheel-drive system, hefty 260-horsepower 4.0-litre V6 engine and 5,000 pounds of towing capacity are beastly, while its interior is made for messy adventures. Rubber floors and water-resistant seat fabric are made to withstand mud, ash and anything else you track in.

  Meanwhile, it has enough gauges to make sure you never get too lost on your backwoods outings. It’s an outdoor workhorse without equal, which is why buyers will still pay dearly for it after half a decade of rugged outings.

Toyota Tacoma

MSRP: $17,525

Resale value retained after five years: 57 per cent

 The Tacoma has taken this award 10 times for one big reason: You can beat the hell out of it and it’ll come back for more.

  Durability is a big deal in the Tacoma’s world, where car buyers who don’t feel they need all the size and strength of a Ford F-Series or Chevy Silverado are drawn to its off-road agility, flexible cargo options and easy handling. At a combined 23 miles per gallon, the base model Tacoma gets the mileage of a small SUV without sacrificing any of its midsized truck power.

  When you’re content with fetching big items from the hardware store or taking a yard full of leaf litter to the dump without flashing chrome or flexing muscle, this is the understated truck to buy, even if it’s secondhand.

Jeep Wrangler

MSRP: $22,195

Resale value retained after five years: 55.3 per cent

It’s loud, it’s not terribly reliable, it sucks up gas at a combined 19 miles per gallon and it doesn’t store a whole lot unless you get the stretched-out unlimited version.

  That said, nothing looks quite like it and nothing’s an acceptable off-road substitute at this price.

  The ground clearance and four-wheel drive come in awfully handy in miserable winter weather, while that removable hardtop makes it a sweet open-air ride in the summer.

  Car buyers don’t pick up a used version of the Wrangler because they want to truck the kids around or make grocery runs.

  They buy it because they want a “Jeep,” and all the frivolities that go along with it.

 Honda CR-V

MSRP: $22,695

 Resale value retained after five years: 50.7 per cent

 Honda’s small family crossover of choice makes moms and dads swoon with its redesigned exterior, spacious interior with 70 cubic feet of cargo room with the seats down and tech toys such as its informational display, navigation and rear camera. The combined 26 miles per gallon certainly don’t hurt, either.

Toyota Land Cruiser and Toyota 4Runner

MSRP: $78,255 and $31,340

Resale value retained after five years: 49 per cent

The cars with the highest resale value are almost exclusively SUVs.

  The Land Cruiser and 4Runner are great examples of why.

 The 4Runner is the mix of the big school and soccer shuttle families want and the bike and kayak hauler weekend warriors crave.

  Meanwhile, the Land Cruiser is the most expensive Toyota available and the last in a dying breed of big, affluence-flaunting gas-guzzlers.

  You’d think the 4Runner and Land Cruiser and their average combined mileage of 20 and 15 miles per gallon, respectively, would be in less demand after gas prices flirted with $4 a gallon last year.

  It turns out that used-car buyers are OK paying more at the pump if it means getting these apartments on wheels at half price.

Porsche Cayenne

 MSRP: $49,600

 Resale value retained after five years: 47.3 per cent

This beast gets 22 miles per gallon on the highway. It gets a whopping 300 horsepower and tops out at 142 miles per hour in its base model.

  It comes with toys including the Porsche Communications Management system to link your various media and electronics, a rearview camera and Bose surround sound speakers.

  As much as the 24 cubic feet of rear space and 63 cubic feet of combined cargo space want to make the argument for this vehicle as a family hauler, it’s a more of a midlife crisis with a motor.

  The Cayenne is Porsche’s best-selling car in the U.S. by far. That’s a lot of parents who just can’t let their Porsche dreams go.

 Lexus LX

MSRP: $81,530

Resale value retained after five years: 47 per cent

Oh, so you say this beast retains value? That’s good. You should expect some equity when your car’s starting price is close to that of a small house. With 383 horsepower from its 5.7-litre V8 engine, 7,000 pounds of lowing capacity, 83 cubic feet of maximum cargo space and lots of screens and heated seats, this rolling boutique hotel room has to work overtime to make up for a paltry 14 miles per gallon of fuel economy, including only 12 miles per gallon of city driving. There are city buses blessed with better mileage.

Honda Civic

MSRP: $18,165

Resale value retained after five years: 46.9 per cent

It’s a bit snug for a family car, but the Civic’s combined 33 miles per gallon and nearly 40 miles per gallon on the highway make it tempting for households on a tight budget.

  It seats five with a surprising amount of space left over, is coated in airbags to keep everyone safe and has a new display that shows fuel efficiency, music info and even family photos. The utilitarian small sedan also tends to hold up well over the years, making it a gem for used-car buyers who aren’t just waiting for a far less efficient SUV to get cheaper.

Scion Tc

MSRP: $19,965

Resale value retained after five years: 46.5 per cent

Meh. It’s a small two-door that gets an OK combined 27 miles per gallon. So why is it expected to go like hotcakes in 2018? A relatively low buy-in price, a surprisingly roomy backseat and a look sportier than most of its pint-sized competition. Plus, that Toyota connection goes a long way when it comes to the Tc’s estimated reliability.

United States based auto rating company, J.D. Power announced that the Hyundai Genesis received the award for the highest initial quality in the midsize premium car segment.

 The award comes from the J.D. Power 2013 U.S. Initial Quality StudySM (IQS).

 The Initial Quality Study, now in its 27th year, served as the industry benchmark for new-vehicle quality measured at 90 days of ownership.  
  According to the study, Hyundai Genesis owners reported fewer problems with their vehicles than any premium midsize car.

 “Outperforming all of our competitors in the premium midsize car segment is a reflection of the dedication of all Hyundai team members,” said Director of Engineering and Quality, Hyundai Motor America, Erwin Raphael, “Awards like this demonstrate we’re succeeding in connecting with our customers through an unprecedented combination of premium performance, technology, safety and quality.”

  In addition to Genesis’s award, the Hyundai brand substantially reduced problems per 100 vehicles and finished tenth overall, gaining eight rank positions.
  The Hyundai overall score was 106 problems per 100 vehicles, seven problems fewer than the industry average.
  Accent, Sonata and Azera ranked second in their respective segments.
The all-new Santa Fe ranked third in its segment.United States based auto rating company, J.D. Power announced that the Hyundai Genesis received the award for the highest initial quality in the midsize premium car segment.

 The award comes from the J.D. Power 2013 U.S. Initial Quality StudySM (IQS).

 The Initial Quality Study, now in its 27th year, served as the industry benchmark for new-vehicle quality measured at 90 days of ownership.  
  According to the study, Hyundai Genesis owners reported fewer problems with their vehicles than any premium midsize car.

 “Outperforming all of our competitors in the premium midsize car segment is a reflection of the dedication of all Hyundai team members,” said Director of Engineering and Quality, Hyundai Motor America, Erwin Raphael, “Awards like this demonstrate we’re succeeding in connecting with our customers through an unprecedented combination of premium performance, technology, safety and quality.”

  In addition to Genesis’s award, the Hyundai brand substantially reduced problems per 100 vehicles and finished tenth overall, gaining eight rank positions.
  The Hyundai overall score was 106 problems per 100 vehicles, seven problems fewer than the industry average.
  Accent, Sonata and Azera ranked second in their respective segments.
The all-new Santa Fe ranked third in its segment.

Source : The Guardian Nigeria