About a week or so ago, word got out that Volkswagen was anxious to design and build a four-door version of its XL1 plug-in diesel hybrid. Possibly to be called the XL2, adding the extra pair of doors won't be the simplest task. The XL1 can't just be stretched. Instead, VW engineers will need to completely redesign the carbon-fiber tub as well as upgrade the output of the powertrain in order to retain the 261 mpg rating with the added weight. It'll be quite a task but totally doable.

Those rear doors, as reports indicated, could very well end up being rear-hinged units similar to those on the BMW i3. We think it'd look pretty cool. VW hasn't said anything in regards to whether the exterior design will be significantly altered, but rendering artist Theophilus Chin has just released his take on the XL2. His version is simply a stretched XL1 with said rear-hinged doors. It's definitely futuristic-looking and more eye-catching than the i3. We'll just have to wait and see what VW ultimately decides.