Volkswagen Golf 2013 News

The New York motor show in April will see the announcement of which vehicle has won the 2014 World COTY, and there looks to be a tough -- and very varied -- field of finalists.Last year's winner was the Volkswagen Golf, which also took awards in pretty well every country on the globe. But this year it could be anything from the little electric BMW i3 to the offroading Jeep Cherokee and even the Citroen C4 peoplemover, judging by the shortlist.A panel of 69 motoring experts from around the world -- including Carsguide's Paul Gover and National Motoring Editor Joshua Dowling -- will choose the winner from: Audi A3, BMW 4 Series, BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Ford Fusion/Mondeo, Infiniti Q50, Jeep Cherokee, Lexus IS, Mazda3, Peugeot 308 and Skoda Octavia.The 10 finalists for the 2014 World Luxury Car are the Bentley Flying Spur, BMW X5, Cadillac ELR, Cadillac Escalade, Maserati Ghibli, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Macan, Range Rover Sport and Rolls-Royce Wraith.Due to a tie, there are 11 finalists for the 2014 World Performance Car: Alfa Romeo 4C, Audi RS 6 Avant, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Ferrari 458 Speciale, Ford Fiesta ST, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster, Mercedes-Benz A/CLA45 AMG, Porsche 911 GT3, Porsche 911 Turbo and Volkswagen Golf GTI.A separate panel of five 'green' experts will choose the 2014 World Green Car from Audi A3 Sportback e-tron (+ Audi e-gas), BMW i3, Honda Accord Hybrid, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Volkswagen XL1.Similarly, a panel of five design experts will decide on the 2014 World Car Design of the Year, from among: BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Mazda3, Lexus IS, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volkswagen XL1.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

The shortest-priced favourite in the 17-year history of the COTY contest romps home ahead of a surprise runner-up, the Mazda6 diesel station wagon. The family-focused Kia Rondo seven-seater completes the podium. The landmark Mercedes-Benz A200 is fourth but the sentimental star, Holden’s Commodore, manages only sixth place in the 10-car line-up of new models released since December 2012.The seventh-generation Golf was clearly on top through the intensive COTY judging, rating first in the field with seven of the 10 members of the voting panel. It won us over with a combination of class and refinement, relaxed driving and the value of the $27,940 90 TSI Comfortline with DSG auto.Never has a “small” car (the cabin space is equal to a big car of the 1990s) so seamlessly combined the verities of a suburban family vehicle and a long-distance tourer. Its 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine is as amiable and economical - or as spirited and responsive - as you could want. Not that we have no misgivings after the massive recall of the previous-model Golf earlier this year because of DSG transmission problems and the ongoing questions about the Volkswagen support network. “I love the Golf, but I would never own one beyond the warranty period,” says James Stanford, summing up the feelings of most. Likewise Joshua Dowling, News Corp’s national motoring editor, who says that the cost optional extended warranty is a must for longer term ownership.Watch Volkswagen Golf COTY videoThere are no doubts about the back-up for the Mazda6, which emerges quickly from the ruck as the contenders are driven back-to-back over a testing loop on public roads around Mount Victoria and Lithgow west of Sydney.The luxuriously appointed diesel Touring Wagon ($41,650) is nearly as big as an old-school Aussie family six but brings BMW-bettering finish and refinement - and arguably the world’s best four-cylinder turbo diesel.“This is the reason people don’t buy Commodores and Falcons any more,” says Joshua  Dowling. “It’s European prestige styling and performance at a Japanese price,” says Craig Duff. Lisa Power asserts:  “The Mazda6 had me at hello. It is classy, comfortable, safe and polished.”Watch Mazda6 COTY videoKia’s Rondo SLi diesel ($36,490) is another surprise packet, scoring because of its 5+2 cabin flexibility, strong 1.7-litre turbo diesel and the Australianisation work that goes into all Kias. It has limited boot space with seven seats in place but that’s the only flaw. Otherwise its almost infinitely variable load and seating configurations make it a best friend for the suburban family prepared to look beyond the inevitable, but vastly less efficient, SUV.“It’s a cross between a wagon and an SUV, which is a good thing. It’s a great advertisement for the flexibility of a people-mover,” says Neil Dowling. “Not a true seven-seater,” says Chris Gable.Watch Kia Rondo COTY videoThe fourth-placed Mercedes-Benz A200 (from $40,900) is a fully fledged Benz and a properly sporting hatch that undercuts the equivalent Audi and BMW for value and desirability. Yet its alert road manners, intended to bring younger buyers to the brand, are felt by some judges to be too great a departure from the longstanding Benz remit, with excessive tyre noise on some surfaces and a choppy ride.Watch Mercedes-Benz A200 COTY videoIt’s followed in the voting by the chic little Renault Clio Expression TCE 120, $19,790) which this month spawns a pocket rocket from Renault Sport. An effervescent 1.2-litre turbo petrol and twin-clutch auto are a happy modern marriage. The styling of Laurens van den Acker makes for the most visually appealing city car to date.“I’m a fan. It’s 20 grand, it’s a lot of fun and you get what you pay for,” deputy editor Tim Vaughan says. Lisa Power, however, feels some of the novel touches are detrimental: “The reflections of this piano black trim are very distracting in the sunlightEveryone wants to like the Commodore Evoke ($34,990) but the VF is just not good enough. The 3.0-litre V6 is coarse and underpowered. Yes, its ride is superbly adept and its size is second to none but, as Duff says, “It’s an old car, out of its time.” Gable adds: “It just feels like a much-improved VE.” Neil Dowling:  “The world has moved on.”Compact SUVs might be as unavoidable as death and taxes but the world awaits the first outstanding example. Subaru’s Forester 2.5i with CVT auto ($32,990) is a “fine Subaru,” say several judges, “but no COTY”. The near entry variant will surely satisfy with equipment levels and reliability but its engine has to work too hard and there are better cabins at this price.Having agreed to make available a V40 T4 Luxury petrol, Volvo first gives us an XC60 SUV. A diesel version is found. At great length an example of the T4, in Luxury spec ($45,990), arrives. In a year when Benz can do the A200 at $40K and the Golf variant so transcends its price bracket, the V40 is not only too late but offers too little.Volvo’s case is further undermined by its imminent engine replacement. The T4’s five-cylinder turbo petrol is chucked early next year for a new four. If this well-equipped and pleasant car existed in isolation it would be a great deal more impressive than it is.Kia’s Cerato, essentially a twin of last year’s place-getting Hyundai i30, disappoints. The year of the Golf cannot fail to diminish this good-value but competitively basic small car. It is by no means as complete as the Rondo, It suffers, says Duff, from “muddy electronic steering”.Holden’s Trax ($25,690) trailed the field from the outset. It is a good idea done badly, particularly with impressive new mini SUVs - including the Ford EcoSport and Renault Captur - about to flood showrooms. It’s cheap within, obsolete under the bonnet, wobbly on the road and no more impressive than the Barina on which it’s based.HOW THEY FINISHED1. Volkswagen Golf2. Mazda63. Kia Rondo4. Mercedes-Benz A2005. Renault Clio6. Holden Commodore7. Subaru Forester8. Volvo V409. Kia Cerato10. Holden Trax 

A member of the 2013 Australia's Best Cars judging panel says motorists are spoilt for choice right now. Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania general manager of roadside and technical Darren Moody -- who sits on the panel with judges from motorist clubs around Australia -- says new car buyers have access to record low interest rates and are still getting great value for money, despite a recent dip in the value of the Australian dollar.He and the 11 other judges from around the country had been trying to make life even easier for buyers, testing 50 vehicles in 15 categories for the 2013 best car awards.The awards, run by the Australian Automobile Association, involved all the state auto clubs. In October Mr Moody and the other judges spent six days at the Australian Automobile Research Centre at Anglesea in Victoria testing all the vehicles.The judges' choice this year was the Mazda6 Touring, winner of the category for best medium car under $50,000. "It brings premium features to the category," Mr Moody said. There was no winner in the people mover category this year. AAA chief executive Andrew McKellar said it was the first time in the 13 years of the program that an award has been withheld."It's unfortunate that not one vehicle in that class meets the expectations of an Australia's Best Car," he said.Australia's Best Cars 2013Judges' choice: Mazda6 TouringBest light car: Renault Clio Expression TCe 120Best small car under $35,000: Hyundai i30 ActiveBest small car over $35,000: Audi A3 Sportback TFSI CoDBest medium car under $50,000: Mazda6 TouringBest medium car over $50,000: BMW 320iBest large car under $60,000: Holden Commodore VF SV6Best large car over $60,000: Lexus GS350 F SportBest people mover: Award withheldBest sports car under $50,000: Volkswagen Golf GTIBest sports car $50,000-$100,000: BMW M135iBest SUV under $45,000: Subaru Forester 2.5iBest SUV $45,000-$65,000: Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander CRDiBest Luxury SUV over $65,000: Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDIBest all-terrain 4WD under $100,000: Land Rover Discovery 4 TDV6Best 4x4 Dual Cab Ute: Ford Ranger XLRead the full story here. 

British supercar maker McLaren is riding a wave of big models, with the 12C and 12C Spider already out, the P1 just being launched -- and reportedly already sold out -- and the 3.8-litre V8-powered P13 sportscar in the works to face off against the Porsche 911.But now McLaren's design boss has suggested a hot hatch could be on the cards for the Woking line-up. Speaking with Dutch magazine Autovisie, head designer Frank Stephenson said he can invision something similar to the Volkswagen Golf."I see a car like the VW Golf for 30 to 40,000 EUR ($43,000-$58,000, however the Golf GTI sells here from $41,490), but for McLaren with a carbon fiber monocoque, to happen in the future," is reported as telling the magazine.And while he's designed the 12C and P1 for his current house -- and the F430 for Ferrari -- Stephenson's experience certainly doesn't stop at supercars. He also penned the BMW X5, Mini Cooper, Fiat 500 and Alfa Romeo Mi-To so a hot hatch could be a familiar drawing board snack for him.Stephenson also reportedly sledged Audi in the Autovise story, saying the German brand's design broth was spoilt by having too many chefs. "Groups are like a large oil tankers, it takes a lot of time to change the course. Too many people with different ideas that you have to convince, and designs that are toned too far," he said.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Drivers of diesel cars are about to feel more pain at the pump as figures show they’re less efficient around town than owners expect. Adding to the anguish is the imminent seasonal increase in demand for the fuel in China, Europe and North America, which pushes up prices globally.Oil companies use diesel to also make heating oil, which adds price pressure as the northern hemisphere heads into winter. “All the heating oils have gone up and that’s not uncommon at this time of year,” says the NRMA’s Peter Khoury.The average price of diesel has risen to more than $1.60 per litre in recent weeks, up to 20 cents a litre dearer than unleaded petrol at its discount peak and on par with premium unleaded fuels.Even though sales of diesel vehicles have tripled over the past 10 years, diesel passenger cars still only account for 4 per cent of new cars sold while diesel SUVs account for 10 per cent and diesel utes and vans 15 per cent. “Despite the increasing popularity of diesel cars the fuel itself is still bought in relatively low volume at service stations, so there is not as much competition driving prices down,” said Mr Khoury.Figures from the Australian Institute of Petroleum show that only 25 per cent of all diesel is sold at service stations; 75 per cent is bought in bulk by the mining and agriculture industries. Of the diesel fuel sold at service stations about 80 per cent is bought by the long-haul trucking industry which gets a 12 cents per litre rebate from the Federal Government.The concession to trucking companies cuts their fuel excise to 26 cents per litre. The mining and agriculture industries pay no excise as they’re entitled to a full rebate of 38 cents per litre. Drivers of diesel cars pay 38 cents per litre in fuel excise, the same as drivers of unleaded vehicles.Meanwhile Australia’s love affair with diesel cars may prove to be misguided for some buyers. Figures from the Federal Government’s Green Vehicle Guide show that while diesel cars are more efficient on the open road than petrol cars, their advantage is diminished greatly in city and suburban driving.“You still get savings in a diesel car but the reality is the savings aren’t as great if you’re only driving around town,” said Mr Khoury. “Plus, some of the latest petrol engines are almost as efficient as diesel engines, and in most cases petrol cars are cheaper to buy.”The latest Volkswagen Golf 90TSI petrol sips an average of 5.4L/100k, just a fraction more than the superseded Golf 77TDI which uses 5.2L/100km, according to Green Vehicle Guide fuel rating label figures.“It comes down to individual driving habits,” said Mr Khoury. “People need to do their research and find what suits them best. If you do a lot of open road driving a diesel might make more sense, but around town some of the new petrol engines might be better.”2013 Volkswagen Golf 90TSI$24,990Around town: 6.6L/100kmOpen road: 4.7L/100kmCombined cycle: 5.4L/100km2009 Volkswagen Golf 77TDI$29,990Around town: 6.1L100kmOpen road: 4.6L/100kmCombined cycle: 5.2L/100kmWhy diesel is expensiveDiesel is the dominant fuel in Asia and a sharp rise in demand for diesel in India and China has pushed up prices.Demand for diesel in Australia has increased with the mining boom.The supply of diesel has not kept pace with the growth in demand.The price of diesel is affected by demand for other products it also is used to produce, including jet fuel, kerosene and heating oil.Who buys diesel?Only 25 per cent of diesel sold in Australia is sold at service stations; the remaining 75 per cent of diesel is bought in bulk by the mining and agriculture industries.Of the 25 per cent of diesel sold in Australia at service stations, less than a third of it is bought by private customers -- passenger cars: 4 per cent; SUVs: 10 per cent; utes and vans: 15 per cent. Those three vehicle categories -- passenger cars, SUVs and utes -- consumed an estimated 2000 million litres of diesel last year.Trucks consumed 9600 million litres of diesel last year.Why diesel isn't expensive compared to the rest of the worldAustralia is the sixth cheapest country for diesel fuel among the 29 OECD countries, according to March 2013 figures from the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics.This is largely because Australia has the sixth lowest tax rate in the OECD. Only Japan, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and the United States have cheaper diesel fuel.

New-car buyers hit the brakes in September and another 1.1 million-plus annual sales record is now under threat. Industry analysts are trying to determine what caused the September slowdown after six of the top 10 brands posted sales slides and the overall market dropped by 2.1 per cent to 92,662 deliveries compared with the same month last year.The last time the Australian new-car market slowed dramatically was in December 2011, when sales fell by 4.8 per cent after floods in Thailand and a catastrophic tsunami in Japan earlier that year severely restricted vehicle production.The weak September result means market growth has slowed to 3.3 per cent year-to-date, with 849,944 deliveries since January, putting another record annual result in doubt.After last year’s all-time high of 1,112,032 sales the new-car market was up by 5 per cent in the first half of this year.Car executives are trying to determine if the market is still experiencing the flow-on effect from the uncertainty caused by sudden changes to Fringe Benefits Tax rules before the Federal election -- or if the election itself did most of the damage.New-car sales dipped in the lead-up to four of the last five Federal elections, industry figures show. "The announcement by the Coalition to return to pre-July FBT arrangements has been welcomed by the industry," said Tony Weber, the chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries."We anticipate the market effect of this announcement will see positive growth throughout the rest of the year. Consumers can be confident that the recent FBT issue is now behind us."The September slowdown still came as a surprise given that interest rates fell to a new low and improved car affordability.Sales in the main mining states -- Queensland, West Australia and the Northern Territory -- were down by between 5.5 and 8.2 per cent, but sales of utes were still strong, with three workhorses finishing inside the top 10. The Toyota HiLux was the second-biggest seller in September while the Nissan Navara and Ford Ranger placed seventh and eighth respectively.Meanwhile the Toyota Corolla has developed a clear lead in the race to become Australia’s top-selling car for the first time. The Corolla has now built a gap of 1258 sales -- its largest to date -- ahead of two-times winner, the Mazda3, in the year-to-date tally (Corolla: 32,039, Mazda3: 30,781).The Mazda3 led the market at the start of the year and seemed certain to collect its third win in a row, but the Corolla overtook its fellow Japanese import as Australia’s favourite car in April, June, July and September.In another upset the Volkswagen Golf outsold the locally-made Holden Cruze by one delivery, with the Holden only just managing to stay inside the top 10 after a disappointing month.Holden posted 1851 Cruze deliveries (compared to the Golf’s tally of 1852) which was down 5 per cent on the same month in 2012, and down by 37 per cent compared to September 2011.The Golf’s result was buoyed by $22,990 drive-away promotional pricing but it also shows that Volkswagen appears to have bounced back from the recall controversy earlier this year. Last month’s result was strong for the Volkswagen Golf but still nowhere near its all-time high figure of 3337 sales set in October 2011.The homegrown Falcon and Commodore posted modest sales recoveries, but both were well short of their former glory. Holden again delivered more than 2800 Commodores (up 13 per cent) while Ford shifted 846 Falcons, which was down 28 per cent compared to the same month last year but an increase of 47.6 after the previous month’s all-time low.The reigning champion Mazda3 had a big sales slide in September after the company brought its annual sale forward a month. Toyota is on track to post its 11th year as the top-selling brand with 158,793 sales year to date, ahead of second-placed Holden (81,904). In third place Mazda (78,252) still has a comfortable margin over fourth-placed Hyundai (72,599) and fifth-placed Ford (64,964).Nissan sales continued to slide for the third month in a row but its results of 59,460 so far this year is up by 1.2 per cent after benefitting from strong gains earlier in the year. Nissan Australia is looking for its third boss in less than two years after Bill Peffer announced he was leaving the company.Top 10 brands in September 2013Toyota 17,492 -- up 1.1 per centHolden 9614 -- up 7.4 per centHyundai 8803 -- up 12.6 per centMazda 7615 -- down 24.6 per centFord 7505 -- down 3.3 per centMitsubishi 5993 -- up 3.3 per centNissan 5556 -- down 10.8 per centVolkswagen 4466 -- down 9.8 per centSubaru 2752 -- down 14.3 per centKia 2534 -- down 7.7 per centTop 10 cars in September 2013Toyota Corolla 3443 – up 9.9 per centToyota HiLux 3340 – down 3.9 per centMazda3 3052 – down 28.6 per centHolden Commodore 2865 – up 13.3 per centHyundai i30 2675 – down 14.9 per centToyota Camry 2223 – down 1.9 per centNissan Navara 2275 – up 25.3 per centFord Ranger 2037 – up 13.1 per centVolkswagen Golf 1852 – up 8.1  per centHolden Cruze 1851 – down 5.1 per centSource: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, VFACTS.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

Volkswagen has added the eagerly anticipated GTI performance model to its Australian Mk7 Golf lineup, and claims the new model as the fastest GTI yet.Now available in five-door only, the new GTI’s Australian entry prices have increased by $1000 over the previous Mk6 five-door GTI. This puts the six speed manual model at $41,490, with the six-speed DSG dual-clutch auto commanding $2500 more at $43,990.The new GTI stands out from the rest of the Mk7 Golf lineup with unique front and rear fascias, five spoke 18 inch ‘Austin’ design alloy wheels on 225/45 tyres, red brake calipers, exhaust outlets on either side of the rear diffuser and dark tinted taillights.The traditional GTI red grille ‘lipstick’ now runs along the lower edge of the grille, extending through the headlights when Bi-Xenon headlights are optioned.With the turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol now producing 162kW/350Nm (up from 155kW/280Nm), Volkswagen claims the new GTI  can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 6.5 seconds (down 0.4) with either transmission, 80-120km/h in 5.0 seconds, with a top speed of 246km/h.The engine now uses direct and port injection for improved flexibility, and a standard stop/start system helps deliver a combined fuel figure of  6.2L/100km for the manual, and 6.6L/100km for the DSG auto (down from 7.7 and 7.6L/100km).  The new GTI rides on a sport-tuned suspension setup that sits 15mm lower than other Golf models, with standard three-mode adaptive dampers and two-stage stability control that deactivates traction control when in sport mode.Progressive variable-ratio steering also makes its GTI debut, reducing steering effort at slow speeds, and reducing the required inputs for high-speed manoeuvres. The use of weight-saving materials in the Mk7 Golf's MQB platform has seen mass drop by up to 56kg across GTI models, with kerb weights spanning 1324-1380kg.On the inside, the GTI comes with a 5.8 inch multimedia touchscreen as standard, along with unique instrument graphics, a leather multifunction steering wheel, red ambience lighting and brushed stainless steel pedals. The previous GTI’s ‘Jacky’ tartan pattern used on the standard cloth trim has been updated to a subtly different ‘Clark’ tartan with the new model.Golf GTI options include premium paint ($500), a panoramic electric glass sunroof ($1850), Bi-Xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lights ($2150), Vienna leather trim ($3150), and a driver assistance package ($1300) that includes adaptive cruise control, Front Assist surroundings monitoring and City Emergency Braking. A driver fatigue detection system is fitted standard.An upgraded GTI Performance variant will be available from the first half of next year, with an uprated 169kW version of the 2.0 litre engine, plus larger 340/310mm (up 28/10mm) brakes wearing the GTI logo, plus an electronically-controlled mechanical front diff lock that helps more of the GTI’s 350Nm to be transferred through the front wheels, and integrates with all other driving aids.The Performance option will be identifiable by standard Bi-Xenon headlights, tinted LED taillights, tinted windows, and larger 19 inch multispoke ‘Santiago’ wheels. On the inside, the Performance pack will bring alcantara highlights to the side bolsters and headrests of the tartan cloth sports seats.PRICINGVolkswagen Golf GTI (manual) - $41,490Volkswagen Golf GTI (DSG auto) - $43,990Volkswagen Golf GTI Performance - $47,990 (available 2014)

When Volkswagen dropped from six to four cylinders with the transition from the Mk5 Golf R32 to the Mk6 Golf R performance hero, it looked as though the days of V6-engined Golfs were over.However according to Auto Week, the German carmaker is working on a new twin-turbocharged petrol V6 to suit the Golf, trumping all before it with a power output of up to 336kW.Such a figure would well exceed the 221kW from the recently-unveiled Mk7 Golf R’s 2.0 litre turbocharged four, which could make for a new super-Golf model similar to the Design Vision Concept Golf GTI shown at Worthersee earlier this year.The Design Vision concept used a 370kW 3.0 litre twin-turbo V6 with an all-wheel drivetrain, and promised Audi RS6 matching performance of 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds and a top speed in excess of 300km/h.Even if a production super-Golf were to produce 336kW, such a number would push it well ahead of the 0-100km/h time of 5.3 seconds claimed for the new Golf R.Such a production engine would fit within Volkswagen’s plans for an all-forced induction future, and affirm the German giant’s focus on performance as well as efficiency.The new engine will reportedly use a narrow 15 degree angle to suit transverse applications, unlike the 90 degree V6 currently used by several Audi and Porsche models, and set to appear in twin-turbo guise in the upcoming Porsche Macan SUV.The narrow V6 would also have potential applications throughout the wider VW model family, with the Mk7 Golf’s MQB platform set to underpin several new models including future versions of the Jetta, Passat, CC, and a production version of the seven-seat CrossBlue SUV concept.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

Australia has stalled on the electric vehicle starting grid and will miss out on the new wave of cars coming from Volkswagen, as the carmaker's local operation says there is insufficient demand.The German giant rolled out its first battery cars, the e-Golf and e-Up, at the Frankfurt motor show this week and set a bold goal of being market leader in electric mobility by 2018. With Volkswagen due to have 14 pure electric or hybrid cars on sale by next year, "no other automaker can match the broad range we have to offer", said chief executive Martin Winterkorn.It was starting its push "at exactly the right time" because the technology was mature. "The electric car cannot be a compromise on wheels; it must convince customers in every respect," Mr Winterkorn said.Australians, however, are unconvinced, according to Volkswagen's local arm, which will not import either electric cars or hybrids. "The market hasn't embraced these technologies and until there is sufficient demand we don't plan to offer them," said spokesman Karl Gehling.It was still early days for recharging infrastructure and the lack of government incentives for EVs was also "part of the challenge". Volkswagen already makes hybrids but Mr Gehling said they had been ruled out because they could not compete with the brand's efficient diesels.Only three carmakers have offered electric vehicles here and all have struggled to gain acceptance. Since 2010, when Mitsubishi was first with its iMiev runabout, just 602 EVs have been bought, with the overwhelming majority going to fleets.The high cost of the technology has deterred buyers, with the Nissan Leaf at $39,990 drive away the most affordable of the three after the company was forced to slash thousands off its price to stimulate demand. 

Look hard at this car. It's Volkswagen's next hatchback. Well, maybe look under the skin. It's the substance of the XL1 rather than the outlandish form that we'll see in VW's small, affordable passenger cars before the calendar flips to decade three.While the limited run XL1 is on sale in Europe for some $160,000 to collectors and the uber green, its essence will run tomorrow's Ups, Polos, Golfs and more besides. The trick is to look past the hip level height, carbon fibre body, gull wing doors and to see the plug-in electric battery on which it can run for 50km alone and the two-cylinder diesel engine which stretches the range for a further 500.This combo makes for emission free city travel and open road travel at some 0.9 litres per 100km, though it can motor at 160km/h. Hence the company label "1.0-litre car" - of which the XL1 is the showroom precursor - refers not to capacity but range.Having clambered through the Bladerunner doors, you could be in almost any contemporary VW, albeit the brand's only two seater. The switchgear and most of the dials are from the Golf, the wheel is pure GTI, the gear stick operates a seven speed DSG auto, the removable Garmin multi-media screen is found in the Up.There's no mirrors and no need for them - two rear facing cameras, one mounted in each door eliminate blind spots. That should be disorientating and so it is for about 30 seconds at which point it replaces intuition.That's also  so of the drive. The XL1 glides as silently as any electric vehicle though a good deal more efficiently than any on the road with almost on-existent wind resistance. Amid the plethora of innovation there's at least one delightful old world note. The steering is purely mechanical, entirely devoid of assistance, just like a Lotus or my 1971 Kingswood.Merging onto to the autobahn, the diesel engine is engaged via finger tip on the Garmin. It chugs crudely but almost immediately into life, ensuring that you needn't remain on the inside lane for long. When our brief test  is over, I'm exhilarated in a way that only some fast and fabulous cars have made me.Parked nearby the XL1 at Bensburg Castle near Cologne this week, where VW runs a pre Frankfurt Show event, is a Bugatti Veyron - the outrageous 16-cylinder quad turbo supercar. Haven't driven one of those. Probably won't.But it's proximity makes you realise the XL1 is every bit as much a supercar in its own sense. And while it is the single most expensive VW in the brand's near 80-year history, its heart and lungs will be part of your and my driving reality.