Volkswagen chose Tokyo Motor Show, the most sophisticated motoring event of the year, to unveil a new plug-in hybrid version of their hit mini car, the up! Aptly named the Volkswagen twin up!, the car uses a similar system to the XL1 with a 0.8-litre two-cylinder turbodiesel engine in series with a 27 kW electric motor, to deliver a mind-boggling combined fuel consumption of 1 liter per 100 km or 256.8 mpg.

The diesel unit and the electric motor each produce 35 kW and delvier the power via a seven-speed DSG gearbox. The 8.6 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, 12 V battery and 33-litre fuel tank are all located between the rear seats and the boot. It is a highly sophisticated system, but it’s not alone.

The twin up! also benefits from excellent aerodynamics (0.30 Cd), a low unladen weight (1,205 kg), and 165/65 R15 tyres optimised for low rolling resistance. No wonder then it has a CO2 rating of just 27 g/km.

The performance is not brilliant, but it’s good for a car like this. Volkswagen twin up! goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 15.7 seconds, and on to a top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph). On electric power alone the twin up! can operate at speeds of 120 km/h (77 mph) , and accelerate from zero to 60 km/h in 8.8 seconds.

Volkswagen twin up! Plug-in Hybrid is a much more interesting prospect than the electric up! mainly due to the fact there is no range anxiety here. It is a concept for now, but it has a good chance of production. I mean VW is making the XL1, so…