VW previews diesel-electric up! city car

Volkswagen has published a full set of details about an experimental concept car called Twin-Up ahead of its scheduled debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month.  Â

Based on the existing four-door up! city car, the Twin-Up is powered by an evolution of the diesel-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain found under the hood of the futuristic XL1.  It consists of a 0.8-liter two-cylinder diesel engine that works in conjunction with a small electric motor to provide a total of 74 horsepower and 157 lb-ft. of torque. 

Power is sent to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, a first in the nameplate’s relatively short history.  Hardly designed with a focus on performance, the city car can sprint from zero to 60 mph in 15.7 seconds and reach a top speed that is electronically limited to 87 mph.

An 8.6-kWh battery pack enables the up! to drive for 31 miles on electricity alone at speeds of up to 78 mph.  With both power sources running, the car returns 214 mpg in a mixed European cycle.  

Volkswagen has not announced what the future holds for the Twin-Up but it has hinted in the past the XL1′s drivetrain will find its way into something more pedestriand and affordable. If given the green light for production, the Twin-Up will land in showrooms across Europe in late 2014 at the earliest with a base price significantly higher than the regular up!’s.

Look for a full gallery of photos to emerge in the weeks leading up to the Twin-Up’s debut in Japan.