Theoretically below ten thousand Euros
The 2nd of December is the day to note. The Up will hit the road in Germany. The 3.54 metre long… make that short… micro car will be seen in the dealerships with a price tag reading “from 9,850 Euros”. But even the concern management admit that there will rarely be a sale involving an investment below the magic ten thousand Euros mark. The most expensive version will start from 14,300 Euros… and that hardly makes it a bargain.
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- The 3.54 metre long… make that short… micro car will be seen in the dealerships with a price tag reading “from 9,850 Euros”. But even the concern management admit that there will rarely be a sale involving an investment below the magic ten thousand Euros mark. The most expensive version will start from 14,300 Euros… and that hardly makes it a bargain.
Economical in the city?
Volkswagen’s goal is to make the Up the vehicle of choice for city driving… a car which is reasonably priced, tiny enough to fit in almost any parking slot, with good environmental credentials and the promise of driving enjoyment. Okay, the ‘reasonably priced’ claim is not quite supported. Nor can the fuel consumption be deemed exemplary. 4.7 litres of Super per hundred kilometres driven is stated for the 75 horsepower version, for its little brother with just 60 horsepower 4.2. On traffic-free country roads with lots of straight-line coasting these values can be achieved. But after just 40 kilometres driven in congested city stop-and-go traffic the onboard computer announces that the demand has quickly risen to 9 or 6.8 litres respectively. On the gear change prompt display the figure ‘5’ appears so quickly in city traffic that one wonders whether the programming took any note of the need for spontaneous acceleration. For if the car is rolling along at 50 kilometres an hour in fifth and the driver hits the accelerator he might just as well kick the middle console… the result will be the same… nothing happens.
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- The Up will come with two one-litre three-cylinder engines delivering either 60 or 75 horsepower and 95 Nm of torque. This is enough for smart progress through city traffic is a car weighing just 929 kilos.
Driving enjoyment
The Up will shine in seven different body colours and there will be five equipment packages to choose from. And so finally Volkswagen’s little car will have to score in terms of driving pleasure. And that it actually manages… with whichever motorization. Even a Michael Schumacher might have difficulty in distinguishing the difference implied by just 15 horsepower more or less. For this is the only difference between the two engines. Both three-cylinder mills have a one litre capacity and deliver a maximum torque of 95 Nm. It is only the engine mapping which adds the extra horses… and adds a further 600 Euros to the price.
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- The cockpit makes a very grown-up impression and has typical VW solidity. But drivers with short arms will be irritated by the fact that they have no control over the window on the passenger side, given that the driver’s door only has a lever to raise or lower his own window.
Quick getaways and emergency stops
To return to the driving experience… In third or fourth gear as often called for in downtown traffic it is entirely possible to make quick little leaps forward with a car weighing just 929 kilos. Even in the customary downtown stop-and-go conditions the Up is a nippy little puddle jumper. In the event that the driver is having just a bit too much fun on his way to 50 kilometres an hour and comes just a bit to close to the bumper of the car in front the ‘City Emergency Stop’ system will cut in to prevent a collision autonomously. It all sounds a bit spooky and indeed it may be. But it works perfectly well… unless the driver is foolish enough not to let the system take over. If he makes an abrupt steering manoeuvre, depresses either the brake or clutch pedal, then the automatic stopping system will be disengaged.
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- The load can be up to 951 litres when the rear seats are folded down.
Electric power from 2013
Positive surprises are also to be found… one is the ‘triple blinker’ functionality of the turn indicator… another is the ease of access to the back seats thanks to the possibility of sliding the front seats forward. The boot can take 251 litres of load, and with the rear seats folded forward this rises to 951 litres. But drivers with short arms will be irritated by the fact that they have no control over the window on the passenger side, given that the driver’s door only has a lever to raise or lower his own window. This was also a problem with the first generation of Smart Fortwo models. For 2013 Volkswagen are determined to introduce an electrically powered Up. “The Up Blue-e-Motion will be the electric vehicle for the big city… technically perfected, fit for everyday use and at a reasonable price”, enthuses the chairman of the VW board, Martin Winterkorn. The reason that the newly developed micro-car comes without any of the latest economical diesel power plants is the cost of further development and the limited space available in this automobile. In other words a diesel Up would be too expensive and the motor wouldn’t fit under the bonnet. A shame, for then it might even have been possible to reach the consumption goals.
