It’s been about 25 years since a VW in Australia cost less than $15K, and the giant automaker’s first entry into the sub-light segment in Australia has a price tag to equal its Lilliputian dimensions.
The four-seat supermini, in three or five door configuration, comes in at $13,990 and $14,990 respectively with some impressive standard kit, affordable options, and a cute little grin on its face. The latter may be matched by its driver, for the little runabout is actually quite fun to drive.
Volkswagen Up! Engine
The Up runs a one-litre, naturally aspirated three-cylinder engine developing 55kW@6200rpm and 95Nm@3000-4300rpm, put to the front wheels through a manual-only transmission with five speeds.
It’s a nifty little thing, firing up more easily than some three-cylinders but with that familiar three-beat motorbike thrum. It makes the best of its small outputs with the use of alloys in the block, sump, head and cover with lightweight internals, and its small body weighs in at 880kg.
Overseas, a robotized manual (semi-auto, or clutchless manual) is offered, but most motoring critics as well as many drivers famously loathe this transmission. At launch, VW said it was still evaluating an automatic option, though several execs had previously admitted that negative feedback from journos on the international launch earlier this year influenced their decision.
Look into the tightly-packed engine bay, and the manual transmission takes up most of the room as it is, so no wonder VW is finding it hard to fit a traditional automatic into the tiny Up’s frame.
Volkswagen Up! The Interior
VW has been very smart with this supermini. For starters, it’s a dedicated four-seater, and not cramming a fifth centre seat option saves cash as well as space. It likely won’t be missed by its demographic either, for these cars are mostly single or dual passenger transporters.
Cutting out two doors also lowers the entry price point to a tantalizing $13,990, a thousand dollars cheaper than the five-door option. Entry and egress to the rear is tight in the three-door, but once in the back pew is admirably roomy, the headroom is excellent, and most adults could cope with sitting behind an average-sized driver for the average-length trip.
Where the second row of the three door has two cupholders, the five-door has a shared centre cupholder and some odd little pockets that don’t really fit anything, sitting beneath windows that don’t roll down, but instead pop out for a two-inch gap of fresh air – like the windows of a three-door usually may offer. This is due to the compact design, which does not allow for the rear glass to drop down into the door far enough for a conventional rolling window. In the three-door, the rear windows are fixed.
Another interesting cost-saving aspect is the door trim, which is bare painted metal matching the exterior palette, bordering the plastic grab handles, switches and pockets. It manages to look quite funky; a deliberate two tone, rather than a cut corner.
The latter can be seen in the roof-mounted grab handles that are not damped for soft close, fixed front seatbelt points, no ‘dead-pedal’ footrest for the driver, and the driver cannot operate the passenger window, though both are automatic. Hardly deal-breakers.
The dash is well done, with a large piano-black panel punctuated by a basic radio and single CD player, one large air vent per front passenger, and an overly large flat-bottomed steering wheel, which has good rake but no reach adjustment.
The boot is an impressive 251L with a false boot floor that opens it up to these dimensions, hiding a full size spare wheel. The rear seats also split-fold for a 951L cargo area, and has sensors for visual seat belt warnings when the passengers don’t buckle up.
Standard safety includes ABS and stability control, a hill holder, and a full-size steel spare, but the Up gets only four airbags – front and side for the front row – and there is no option for side-curtain ‘bags for the rear seats. However it still earns a five-star Euro NCAP rating, possibly boosted by the standard City emergency braking system.
At speeds of 5km/h - 30km/h, a laser system located in the upper centre of the windscreen can independently prep the brakes and activate a full emergency stop if an object ahead is detected, and there has been no response from the driver. And no, we didn’t try it out.
Options are minimal and relatively affordable. A sunroof costs $1400, a “Comfort Drive” pack which offers cruise control, a Multi-Function Display (MFD) rip computer and rear parking sensors costs $600, and a “Comfort Style” pack includes 15-inch alloys and a skinny spare, fog lights, leather wheel and gear knob, Leatherette seats with white contrast stitching, heated front seats, and floor mats for $2500.
The last and best option is the “Maps and More” multifunction display. It looks like a portable sat-nav, and clicks in to a dock on the dash to display not only navigation but car information, fuel use and optimal shifting patters, radio, stores and displays pictures, can link two devices to its Bluetooth, and has voice activation. It is a $500 option that is almost a must-have. However, it cannot be retrofitted, and must be optioned when the car is ordered.
Volkswagen Up! Exterior & Styling
The Up’s boxy, almost cutesy styling that minimizes its footprint while maximizing its interior. It’s half a metre shorter than the Polo, but the wheelbase is only 5cm shy of its bigger sibling; its wheels pushed to each corner of the car to stretch the footprint for balance, and accommodate the second-row, the boot and the fuel tank.
It still has the VW look about it, but the Golf-esque headlamps look huge on its tiny bonnet, like the eyes of a Japanese anime character, and it has a thin grin of a grille that stretches from one corner of the car to the other.
The entire tailgate is ‘smart form’ glass, blacked out below the window, while the shape of the rear bumper reflects the front in a backwards-facing smile.
Volkswagen Up! On The Road
Where some A-to-B transport is just that, the Up is actually quite fun to drive.
The handling was a pleasant surprise, with relatively neutral body control and the off-beat engine not afraid to rev right up to its soft 6400rpm redline.
Some forward thinking is needed for hills, which required a downchange of one or even two gears to climb with two people and a little luggage in the car. But the ratios aren’t overly tall, the gearbox has a sweet throw and the clutch is light, making short work of the gearchanges.
The brake layout is a disc front/drum rear, while the suspension is a multilink front and torsion-beam rear. The tried-and-true formula works impressively to suspend and stop the little Up, and corners taken at speed produce predictable front-end push and complaints from the front outside tyre while the body stayed propped up and relatively neutral.
The alloy wheel option was unavailable for test, with all cars running the standard 14-inch steel wheels with 165/70 rubber, which cruised without fuss over surface imperfections and was reasonably quiet to boot.
It’s doubtful that the alloys would make any real difference to the feel of its electromechanical steering, which was precise if slightly remote. Its 9.8m turning circle makes it easy to maneuver, and vision both forward and to the rear is unimpeded.
Like all offerings from VW, the Up is an excellent all-rounder.
Volkswagen Up! Challenges
Having no automatic option in a country that loves the lazy transmission is a huge hurdle for the Up in a country that loves the lazy transmission alternative.
As a cut-price entry, its customers usually don’t have oodles of cash to spare particularly after the sale. Prospective buyers may be aware of Volkswagen’s reputation for pricey servicing and parts, and look to brands with more affordable support for their A-to-B runabout. It will have a three-year warranty, but full servicing costs should be revealed by the Up’s release on October 6.
Like all other VWs, it needs a minimum of 95RON premium fuel.
By the time one of these tiddlers has been fully optioned, its $19K tag far exceeds the entry-level Polo ($16,990). While the bigger Polo now only comes in a five-door – the three-door was dropped in anticipation of the Up’s arrival - it also has benefits of a bigger engine, more storage and more spec in an only slightly larger package.
Then there’s Skoda, which has its own version of the Up, the Citigo, which is slated for Oz and could arrive by mid-2013.
Volkswagen Up! Verdict
Ultimately the Up is in an excellent position on price, size, performance and practicality. Pending an automatic transmission and the cost of servicing, it may be one of the strongest offerings yet from the makers of the game-changing Golf.
Volkswagen Up! Competition
Other tiddlers on the market will pose no real threat in performance and economy when compared with the wee Vee-Dub. Tut they are cheaper, but in more ways than one.
The Suzuki Alto is the most similar in its drivetrain, running a 1.0-litre three cylinder with 50kW/90Nm through a five-speed manual from $11,790. More importantly, it has an optional four-speed auto for just $1500. However, it needs premium fuel, the engine is much more agricultural in its operation as well as NVH, and its design and interior in particular is far more basic with a thrifty trim.
The Holden Barina Spark runs a more conventional 1.4-litre four-cylinder through a manual-only transmission, and its two five-door trims cost $11,490 and $14,490 respectively. But outside price and servicing costs, it pales next to the Up in almost every department. Same goes for the cut-price Chinese offerings, while the larger cars from Nissan Hyundai, Kia, and Toyota are simply that – larger.
Volkswagen Up! Likes
Compact but packing excellent spec, value
Volkswagen Up! Dislikes
No auto option, possible servicing expense, no rear airbags
