VW's New City Car: The Up! (Time for an Up!Date)

[YSSMAN]

Volkswagen returns to its rear-engined roots with the up! concept, unveiled Monday before the Frankfurt Auto Show. VW CEO Martin Winterkorn gave a strong indication the four-seat car could see production one day as a part of the company's New Small Family lineup.

Winterkorn also hinted at the car being sold internationally under VW, Seat and Skoda brands to spread around costs.

The up! is about 136 inches long and 64 inches wide with seating for four, rear-wheel drive and modest luggage space under the hood. A VW logo faintly shows through the rear plastic hatch, but glows when the brake lights come on.

With the up!, VW is breaking its recent trend of chasing the high-end of the market at the same time it brings back a Volkswagen power train setup not seen since the original Beetle. Formula for success? It worked once before.

Now what would be really, really awsome would be if they brought this to the United States... Or, re-bodied it as a "true" Beetle successor.

 

[Tornado]

Hey, VW! Here's a thought: Taper off the back, dump that waste-of-an-old-Golf-chassis you have been peddling and give this thing the name it deserves.

 

[Philly]

It looks.... Interesting. The front is different, but I kinda like it. The hatch..... not so much. The rear end looks like it should be on something more like a CUBE or something from Japan.

It seems to be a pretty cool machine. If they manned-up the styling a little bit, I thing this would be a quite cool little beast.

 

[TopHat]

They could always call it the Beetle. But why would anyone call a rear engined VW that?

 

[STLbarcelona5]

Well since the current Beetle hasn't seen any major changes in... um.... ever. It would really be great if they decide to completely rework it into a rear engined car. But the odds of that happening and having it look like the current Beetle but smaller, well, pretty it's a pretty slim chance.

 

[YSSMAN]

My guess is that if they put some regular wheels on there (probably from the Polo or Fox), moved the headlights upward, minimized the glass hatch space, we're probably pretty close to what production would look like.

But, alas. We need to get the Polo or the Fox here before we get the Up!

 

[Wolfe]

That platform just screams "new New Beetle." In fact, get rid of "new" altogether and just call it the Beetle to separate it from the FWD piece of crap they've been peddling for years.

Of course, that's not what Volkswagen is going to do.

 

[Muzaffar]

Uhhhhh.....interesting. What on earth is that? The name "the up!" sounded very Japanese like. More with the "cube" or "aygo" or even "beat". The concept looks quite Japanese as well. I wonder who could have designed it....
If its in a RR drivetrain then i'm happy and if its with a Wankel Rotary, even happier

 

[Jim Prower]

Why do I gave the strange urge to get one in Armour Yellow with big red "UNION PACIFIC" Lettering. It is, after all the VW U.P.

Oh, wait. It's just "Up?"

ON Beetle speculation: Well, that sounds like a good Idea to me, returning to RR. I'd like to see a larger car, though, something about the size of a Cayman/Boxster, but with four seats.

 

[Leonidae]

less ground clearance, more agressive looks, sportier rims, better looking hatch and 1.4TSI, and ditch the UP!, and call it D.U.B, as in Donner Und Blitzen.. :trouble.. why I have this feeling that this will be UK's best selling car among modifiers? insurance rates will probably be low, and possible rear-engine layout promises somewhat perky handling..

 

[Wolfe]

Oh, wait. It's just "Up?"

Actually, it's "up!" with an exclamation point and lowercase letters, assuming Autoblog is honoring the way Volkswagen wants it to be written.

...[the] possible rear-engine layout promises somewhat perky handling..

Well, a rear-engine layout didn't stop the Smart Fortwo from understeering until the cows come home. If you ask someone who has driven it, I'm sure they would not call it "perky."

The original Beetle could provide some fun if you gave it a Subaru motor, though.

 

[95GTIVR6]

I saw this car when i logged onto the 'tex this morning. For those who are interested vwvortex.com has a longer article describing styling cues as well as interior shots.

I hope this isn't illegal...the link

 

[Moglet]

That thing looks terrible... I really don't think it could be adjusted to be improved, it just needs a total redesign IMO.

 

[Crash]

This is a very interesting concept, and it reminds me a lot of the VW Microbus Concept from 2004 or so in terms of just being a bit over the top.

Although I'm sure VW named the car "UP!" with good intentions, imagine if you were asking your friend if the "UP!" belonged to them, and somehow, I'm not sure if that would be something that VW wants associated with this car.

 

[CardcaptorYoshi]

"Is that your Up?"
"No, that's my car."

Yeah, that's all.

Don't really understand why the rear window is so huge, but I guess that's concepts (and me not posting here much) for you. People like glass/see-through stuff, or something. YSSMAN's probably right that they'd tone it down if it hit production anyway.

 

[YSSMAN]

Well, if this car is an "eleven" on the scale of production possibilities, we're going to need to turn it down to a "seven" or "eight" to get it anywhere near a possibility. My guess is that it will steal a lot from the Fox in terms of parts, switches, etc; But given this is a VW, this car will certainly have its own flavor of pieces.

Like stated before, the outside won't take much to turn down to production standards, but its that interior that leaves me a bit puzzled. My guess is that its kinda pointing the way for how interiors will look in Volkswagens in say five years or more, but its still all a bit too chunky and too highly stylized to be anywhere near realistic.

 

[Jim Prower]

"Is that your Up?"
"No, that's my car."

Yeah, that's all.

Don't really understand why the rear window is so huge, but I guess that's concepts (and me not posting here much) for you. People like glass/see-through stuff, or something. YSSMAN's probably right that they'd tone it down if it hit production anyway.

You Know, (and I say this cautiously,) we might be making fun of the name now, but it you look at the success of the equally ridiculously named Nintendo Wii...

 

[Sharky.]

*cough* Citroen C2 *cough*

Ditch the utter rubbish name for starters.

 

[YSSMAN]

Interesting:

High fuel prices have started to change the way Americans look at transportation, and several automakers are rushing to market smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles onto US roads. Daimler Benz is in the final stages of launching the Smart fortwo city car here in the US, and Volkswagen is looking at entering the fray with their own mini compact, the Up!. The stylish Up! was unveiled in Frankfurt on Monday, and Adrian Hallmark, head of Volkswagen of America, has already informed Wolfsburg that the US market is interested.

It's hard to gauge how the fortwo will do here in the States due to its freakishly small size and seating for only two, but the VW Up! concept has a rear-engine, rear drive configuration with room for four. A sedan with roughly the same amount of interior space as a previous generation Golf will likely be available for US consumers if the vehicle goes to production in the next few years. We just hope VW can achieve incredible fuel economy with the good looks of the concept, while offering the Up! at the low prices that once made the original Beetle such a smash hit.

If they do end up bringing it to the US, God only knows how expensive it will be. The Golf already starts just shy of $15K (which is a steal in the market I may add...), so my guess is that the Up! would have to start somewhere around $10-12K. Which would be awesome.

I'd still love to see a Beetle body on it...

 

[YSSMAN]

Call it the Up! 2.0?

VW Introduces the E-Up! Concept at Geneva

Volkswagen promises to release the "Beetle of the 21st Century" by 2013. Those are some of the biggest shoes in the history of the automobile to fill, and VW plans to do just that with a new car based on the New Small Family architecture that was introduced on the original Up! concept that's been floating around for the last few years.

Naturally, like any future-spec concept that's looking to alter the vehicular landscape, the E-Up! will be powered by electrons. The car is small – under 10.5 feet (3.19 meters) in length – and will seat four occupants in a 3+1 arrangement. Top speed is listed at just under 85 miles per hour (135 km/h) and the run to 60 mph will take about 11 seconds while the city-centric zero to 30 mph is dispatched in just 3.5 seconds.

That performance is surely buoyed by the E-Up!'s low weight of about 2,400 pounds (1,085 kilometers) – 530 pounds of which is accounted for by the 18 kWh lithium ion battery pack. That's enough juice to provide a range of about 80 miles (130 kilometers), which VW believes is sufficient for urban use. Depending on the outlet used to charge the EV, a battery pack replenished to 80% takes as little as an hour.

VW is quick to point out that its E-Up! is not a retro design like its own New Beetle. Instead, the car used Volkswagen's latest design languages and draws inspiration from current models like the Polo and Golf. Details like diamond-cut head lamps and C-shaped fog lights join the solar roof that provides a working ventilation system without draining the battery to add to the car's futuristic feel.

So, no more Beetle-bodied Up! then? Not to worry, this still seems like a pretty nice car. Its a matter of time before they build it, I think. Although I'd be more inclined to pick up a three-cylinder TDI model versus the electric, but at a good price, it could be a pretty interesting competitor in the PEV market.

 

[Frizbe]

A sedan with roughly the same amount of interior space as a previous generation Golf will likely be available for US consumers if the vehicle goes to production in the next few years.

I know its an old post but.....
WTF? I believe that was call the Jetta if I'm not mistaken.....

On the up!2.0, I'd buy one if the L1 doesn't make it here and the TDI motor is an option.

 

[Philly]

Interesting conversion between pounds and kilometers I see there...

I think it's pretty cool. I'm sure it's pretty well suited to life in Europe. But I'd rather have one powered by a more conventional motor. A new RWD VW would be awesome though.

 

[YSSMAN]

Based on what Autoblog saw today...

* The E-Up! makes use of new, lightweight battery tech that keeps the car sitting well below 2500 lbs

* The cost of driving 62 miles would be roughly €2 ($5)

* Solar power is big on the car, the whole roof panel being a solar one, as well as small buggers on the sun shades

* 155 lb-ft of torque from zero RPM, 0-60 in roughly eleven seconds (not bad for a city car)

 

[Giancarlo]

What's to stop any car that rear ends you from just continuing on through your cabin?

 

[Joey D]

Looks like it might be a solid city car once they get around to producing it.

Electric cars make sense if you live in a large city and never need to go further then 30 miles or so, but for the rest of us I think it's pointless.

 

[DaddyVDUB]

Price, that will be the key issue here. If by some miracle VW could bring the Up to reality for an affordable price,then they may have something.Hopefully the US will one day get it. Thats all a large majority of commuters need,but dont think were ready to give up our large powerful cars yet.

 

[Northstar]

Zie VW Up! iz zie German version of zie Cube. Really does anyone else think that it looks like a German Nissan Cube?

 

[LancerEvo7]

^Exactly! Except the Germans actually made it look good!

 

[Jim Prower]

That's debatable. Looks more like an MCC smart to me, anyway

 

[YSSMAN]

Time for an Up!date

Volkswagen has just taken the cover off an all-new concept called the Up! Lite, a sinister looking diesel hybrid that gets (according to VW) 70 mpg combined. As in both City and Highway. Impressive, even if that only ends up being 90 percent accurate. In fact, should Volkswagen decide to green light the unfortunately named Up! Lite, it would be the most fuel efficient and environmentally friendly four seat vehicle on the planet. Again, if the Up! Lite comes to fruition, we'll all be impressed. Interestingly, this concept isn't the most fuel efficient and environmentally friendly car on earth is because another Volkswagen -- the L1 from Frankfurt – is. But it only seats two.

Ready for the good parts? The aptly titled Up! Lite barely tips the scales at 1,530 pounds. There are Honda Goldwings flirting with that weight class. This svelteness is achieved via a mix of aluminum, lightweight steel and carbon fiber. For instance, the roof is made entirely from the expensive weave. And those amazing wheels consist of ten carbon-fiber spokes and an aluminum fairing. Nifty, no? The tiny, stylized winglettes replace conventional rearview mirrors and contain cameras instead of reflective glass. The same holds true for the interior mounted mirror, as has been replaced by a camera.

Up front, there's an active air dam that opens up as needed. The extra cooling will help out the TDI hybrid drive lifted from the two-seater L1. This 800cc powerplant transmits power to the wheels using a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch gearbox. Even though the diesel engine is teeny, when coupled to the electric motor, the Up! Lite can reach 100 mph and hit 60 mph in 12 seconds. Not fast by any means, but good enough – especially for an ultra-high mileage vehicle. And it can haul stuff, too – including humans. Unlike the Up! Concept we saw in Frankfurt, the Up! Lite seats four people, and with the rear seats folded, it can haul 30 cubic feet of stuff. Not bad at all.

Overall, we're pretty impressed by the looks and promise of the Up! Lite. In our estimation, there's absolutely nothing wrong with blending a Honda CRX with a Volvo C30. Will the Up! Lite ever make it to production? Who knows. VW claims the first Up!s(?) will go on sale in 2011. We get the sense that any future decision will be based on how the two-door Up! does. But we get the feeling the Up! Lite might give the people more of what they want

More pics and the press release at Autoblog

As a practical way of getting people to buy affordable, efficient cars, this is about as good as it gets. This one seems fine-tuned for the American market, so it will be interesting to see what comes of it.