U Spy: Italdesign Giugiaro's Geneva-Bound Volkswagen Concept Cars

Carscoop reader Torben tipped us off this morning about the addition of two Volkswagen concept cars penned by the Italdesign Giugiaro studio at the European patent office. Given the recent reports on the world premiere of two new design studies from Italdesign Giugiaro to mark its integration to the VW Group at the Geneva Salon next week, we'd say it's almost certain that these are the cars being readied for the Swiss motor show.

The first concept is a tall and narrow five-door hatchback model with seating for four passengers, while the second model appears to be a sportier looking three-door variant with a lower roofline and more aggressive lines, in the likes of the Scirocco. We can't tell for sure, but it is possible that these two cars are roughly the same size as the Polo.

We'll dig around to see what else we can find on the two concept cars and keep you posted on any updates.

Many thanks to Torben for the tip!

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VW Group to Display Up to Seven Concepts at the Geneva Show

It seems that the VW Group will do just about anything to become the world’s biggest automaker by 2018. After announcing a €51.6 billion (US $70.3 billion) investment plan last November, the Germans also want to showcase their future intentions at the Geneva Motor Show in March, by displaying up to seven concepts.

Walter de Silva, head of the group’s design department, told ANE that the concept lineup will include Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen models, plus “one – if not two” Audis.

Furthermore, the Italdesign Giugiaro design studio, acquired by the automaker last spring, will also present two Volkswagen concept cars.

Seeing this kind of commitment, one has to wonder what exactly has Volkswagen is store for us. With the Golf Mk7 said debut in late 2012 or early 2013, we're inclined to say that it’s too early for a design study and the same goes for the next generation Audi A3, due for a release in the summer of 2012. While the manufacturer did say that it wants to expand its North American SUV lineup, information on the subject is scarce, so we wouldn’t bet on an SUV concept either.

In any case, if you have an opinion on the matter, now is the time to share it with us in the comments section below.

*Note: Volkswagen Up! Lite Concept featured in the gallery

By Csaba Daradics

Source: ANE [Subscription required]

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VW XL1 Hybrid Coupe Study: Videos and Photos from Qatar

The highlight of Volkswagen's presentation at this week's Qatar motor show is the new XL1, a futuristic looking diesel-electric plug-in hybrid study for an everyday-use coupe vehicle with a combined fuel economy of just 0.9 liters per 100 kilometers or an amazing 261 mpg US.

The extremely low fuel consumption is achieved through the use of a lightweight construction, carefully honed aerodynamics and of course, the hybrid powertrain that combines a 0.8-liter twin-cylinder diesel producing 48-horses with a 27HP electric motor. If you follow the jump, you can check out live photos as well as on the road videos of the XL1. For more details on the study, read our previous post here.

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