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How VW's XL1 will make your next Golf lighter, faster and more frugal

VW will only build 250 examples of the XL1, its super-streamlined two-seater than scores a combined 314mpg thanks to its plug-in hybrid diesel engine, lightweight construction and low-drag design. Each punter will have to put up around €100,000 for the privilege of saving money on fuel – but don’t worry, because every car across the VW Group will benefit from the lessons learned, all by 2020. Is my next VW likely to be a hybrid?

Skoda Fabia (2015) unveiled: first pictures of Czech supermini

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 19 August 2014 08:00 Czech HQ has issued this pair of pictures of the new 2015 Skoda Fabia. They reveal a conservatively styled supermini in the vein of a shrunken Octavia with a dash more sophistication than today’s workaday hatch. The new, third-generation Fabia sticks with the crisp, defined surfacing that has come to represent Skoda’s ascetic formality.

Karmann files for insolvency

Karmann, the century-old German coachbuilder synonymous with cabrios and the famous 1950s Karmann Ghia, has filed for insolvency. The company made the move Wednesday in Germany in response to a dramatic decline in revenue, an inability to pay for its massive layoff plan and the worldwide economic crisis. The North American operations, which make convertible tops for Detroit car companies and Volkswagen, are not affected, a spokesman said.