Car of the Day - VW XL1

Every so often a car comes along that just seems "right".  The Volkswagen XL1 is one of those cars; mainly because it is low, sleek and compact - a perfect antidote to most of today's bloated machines.  What's not to like about a low, light, wind cheating, mid-engine coupé?  I don't necessarily go along with the use of complex machinery to chase fuel saving and cut trivial emissions but I hope driver enjoyment hasn't been forgotten in the pursuit of 314mpg.  It would be a terrible waste to build a low, light, mid-engine car that wasn't fun to drive.

When I first saw it the XL1 seemed familiar, the shape reminded me of the Pininfarina Ethos II concept car.  Perhaps it is not surprising, the dimensions are similar and both had low-drag, mid-engine bodywork.  Under the smooth skin both had two-cylinder engines although the Ethos II was two-stroke, the XL1 is a diesel hybrid.

The diesel engine in the XL1 worries me.  How responsive can a two-cylinder turbodiesel be?  VW's forced-induction diesel engines can punch hard once they get going.  Frustratingly they also suffer from a noticeable time delay between calling for power and the engine delivering the goods.  Maybe the car's low weight and the presence of an electric motor will mask the effect.

The other thing that worries me is the choice of tall, slender tyres.  Yes, a 145/55-16 tyre will cause very little aerodynamic drag and minimal rolling resistance in a straight line, but in the real world I think drivers would be better served by something wider, lower profile and on smaller diameter wheels.  Will the XL1 end up with an over-nannying electronic stability system to compensate for the poor choice of footwear?

I know, I know, I want the XL1 to be something that it was never intended to be.  But why can't we have cars that are frugal, fleet footed and fun?

What’s outside today? VW Polo Bluemotion

I’ve been lucky enough to get the Polo on extended loan for a few months. As far as I can tell it is an arrangement with few downsides. I get a smart new car to use, one that should be pretty cheap to run as well and I have to compile regular reports for my editor.

So far I’ve been pretty impressed with the Bluemotion, I’ve had it for a week now and living with it seems pretty painless. The first journey I undertook was a drive from Newbury back to Warwickshire. This included the usual stop-start motorway traffic you get on a Friday evening but I got home in decent time and feeling quite fresh. As time passes, however, some of the novelty is wearing off and I’m finding one or two irritating quirks. The brake pedal has a lot of travel – you push down and down, and down before something happens. Similarly, there are times when acceleration is not as readily available as you might want it. When the turbo kicks in you can feel the swell of torque carrying you along but if you’re rolling up to a junction in second gear and decide there is time to nip out the immediacy of response just isn’t there. Obviously the solution is to change into first as you approach junctions but it would be nice if the engine did something usefull between its 900rpm tickover and 2,000rpm when the turbo cuts in.

The whole point of the Bluemotion is economy and on that score it appears to be doing well. A week at the wheel has used barely half a tank of diesel. At this rate it could be a while before I discover how much it costs to fill the tank. Then again, diesel is such disgusting stuff the less often I have to come in touch with it the better.

Chauffeur for the day

Spent all of yesterday playing with some fancy cars. I don’t think I’ve driven as many cars in one day before; in fact the seven cars I drove would make up most of a normal year’s worth of testing. In order I drove:

VW Phaeton LWB 3.0 V6 TDI
Lexus LS 600hL
Jaguar XJ6 lwb 2.7D
Chrysler 300C (diesel)
BMW 730dL
Mercedes-Benz S300d
Volvo S80 2.5d



Overall the cars were amazingly good, I’m sure diesel engines aren’t supposed to be as nice as they were. In the case of the BMW and Mercedes you might even wonder if it was worth going for a bigger engine. The only unpleasant surprise was how badly some of the cars seemed to cope with bumps. I couldn’t help thinking that a Citroën C6 would be better than all but the 7-series and S-class.

Geared up

I was reading through this week’s Autocar, which featured a full road test of the BMW 123D coupé. Now I’m no BMW fan but the 123D looks like it has an awful lot going for it. Because I had plenty of time on my hands I studied the technical detail of the car very closely. Looking at the gear ratios I spotted something unusual; the fifth gear ratio was 1:1. It was a clear reminder and indicator that the BMW has an old-fashioned front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout. I wish there were more cars like it.

Britain in danger of running dry?

Apparently the number of petrol stations is at its lowest since 1912. With 150 forecourts having closed down already this year there is increasing concern about how difficult it might be to refuel in future.*

The pressures on retailers are understandable. For each pound (sterling not avoirdupois) of fuel sold something like 70-80 pence is tax revenue for the government which doesn't leave much money to cover the cost of the fuel, pay for the infrastructure and staff. No wonder petrol station shops all seem to be turning into mini supermarkets.

Urban petrol stations must also feel the pressure of high demand for land, forcing rents upwards. In the town wher I used to live I know two petrol station sites that are now residential flats.

Is there a solution? Probably not one single solution, more tax relief for petrol stations (especially those that are not associated with supermarkets) would help. Even more important is for us all to think about where we buy fuel. I could fill my car at the supermarket when I do my weekly shop but instead I support the petrol station in my village. It is more expensive but the loss of the only petrol station is more important than a few pounds in my pocket.

*Source: Retail Motor Industry Federation