Latest first drives Volkswagen Up Oct 2011
Volkswagen expects the Up to overtake the Golf and become its bestselling car. Has the German giant lost the plot?
Volkswagen Up city car will also be sold as the Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo
What’s new?
The Up (or ‘Up!’ if you adopt Volkswagen’s grammatically-challenged exclamation mark) is a three-door, four-seat city car that sits below the Polo in VW’s ever-expanding range. Prices start at £7,995, and it will arrive in showrooms in spring 2012.
Inside, there’s a surprising amount of space for a car that measures just 3.5m from tip to tailpipe, plus some innovative options and safety kit.
Buyers can pick from 60bhp or 75bhp 1.0-litre petrol engines, both mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. A five-door version and automated manual gearbox arrive in the second half of 2012, with diesel and electric models due in 2013.
Read our guide to the top 10 new cars with the lowest running costs
What’s it up against?
Glass tailgate is a design detail borrowed from the Toyota Aygo
The Up’s strongest competition may be its forthcoming in-house rivals: the Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo. Both are mechanically-identical, yet likely to undercut the VW on price.
Other city cars to consider include the Fiat 500 and Panda, Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto and Toyota Aygo.
At the top end of its price range, the Up also takes on regular superminis like the Ford Fiesta, Mini and, of course, Volkswagen’s own Polo.
Read all our supermini and city car reviews
Why should I buy one?
Long wheelbase helps the VW Up to feel stable and safe at speed
Like any city car, the Up is relatively cheap to buy and should cost peanuts to run. Both its three-cylinder petrol engines return upwards of 60mpg (claimed), and the eco-oriented Bluemotion model emits just 97g/km CO2, making it exempt from car tax.
The baby VW is easy to park in town, yet feels stable and safe even at German motorway speeds. Ride quality and refinement are very impressive, and the car exudes a feeling of quality that belies its modest price.
Following the success of the Mini and Fiat 500, Up owners will be able to personalise their cars with upgrades to wheels, suspension, hi-fi and interior trim. It’s also the first city car to offer a laser-based emergency braking system, available as part of the £400 Driver’s Assistance Pack.
Finally, don’t discount the allure of that VW badge. It should ensure decent resale values when the time comes to sell.
Read our guide to car finance
What’s its Achilles’ heel?
Removable Maps & More sav nav is a £275 option - or standard in High Up spec
Words like ‘sensible’ and ‘mature’ spring to mind when describing the Up.
From behind the wheel it feels like a smaller Polo, which is no bad thing. But those who think city cars should be agile and fun to drive will come away disappointed.
The main fault lies with the 1.0-litre engine, which develops a measly 75lb of torque (pulling power) in both states of trim. Compare that to the 107lb ft generated by Fiat’s 500 Twinair and it’s no wonder the Up feels a bit breathless on the open road.
Our other gripe is the fact that stability control is only available as part of the £400 Driver’s Assistance Pack. This important safety feature is fitted as standard in the German market, and Volkswagen UK is considering following suit. However, it remains an option for now.
Read our guide to car safety features
Which? members can read our full Volkswagen Up first drive here.
If you're not a member, you can read this report and hundreds of others when you take out a trial to Which for just £1.
