Volkswagen Up unveiled before Frankfurt Motorshow
Volkswagen has chosen to not wait until the Frankfurt Motorshow to unveil the VW UP. So here we have the first official images of the VW Up which is going to be VW’s cheapest car in India ever. Of course, it will also be launched in Europe and America because fuel efficient cars are very much in demand over there as well.
The UP is an entry level hatchback that will sits below the VW Polo. The idea behind the Up is to develop a small car with maximum space on a minimal footprint for the people living in urban areas. The UP is 3.54 meters (11.6 feet) long and 1.64 meters wide. The car shown in the image is a 3 door which will be sold in Europe but there is also a 4 door version planned for the Indian market.
The UP is built on the MQB platform with a wheelbase of 2.3 meters. VW says that there is plenty of room for four people. The rear seats fold flat to increase the generous 251-litre boot to 951 litres. The engine is transversely mounted to increase space inside the car. This is a front-engined, front-wheel-drive car.
Speaking of the engine, the UP is powered by a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine with 59 horsepower on base models or 74 hp on higher models. It will be mated to a standard five-speed manual or a new six-speed clutchless unit. VW claims base models will get 23 km/l.
On the inside, the UP will have a iPad-style Personal Infotainment Device (PID). This incorporates sat-nav and phone functions, plus Bluetooth music streaming. We doubt India will get this feature considering the cost must be kept low as the UP will compete against i10, A star, Wagon R and the Chevy Beat. Internationally, the UP will be competing against Fiat 500, Toyota Aygo etc.
VW also plans to introduce an electric-powered Up by 2013. There are also talks about Seat and Skoda introducing their own versions of UP in the near future.
The covers will be taken off the UP on 12th September. Until then, have a look at the images and tell us what you think