The Big Car Database

Volkswagen Up

 

Volkswagen up!
2013 Volkswagen Take UP! 1.0.jpg
Volkswagen up! 5-door (pre-facelift)
Overview
Manufacturer Volkswagen
Also called Škoda Citigo
SEAT Mii
Production 2011–present
2014–2021 (Brazil)
Assembly
  • Slovakia: Bratislava (Volkswagen Bratislava Plant)
  • Brazil: Taubaté (Volkswagen do Brasil)
Designer Marco Pavone
Walter de Silva
Klaus Bischoff
Chris Lesmana
Body and chassis
Class City car (A)
Body style 3-door hatchback
5-door hatchback
Layout Front-engine, front-wheel-drive
Platform Volkswagen Group NSF
Powertrain
Engine
  • Petrol:
  • 1.0 L MPI I3
  • 1.0 L TSI I3
  • Petrol/CNG:
  • 1.0 L MPI I3
Electric motor Permanent magnet synchronous motor
Transmission 6-speed manual
5-speed manual
5-speed ASG automated manual
1-speed fixed gear ratio (electric)
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,420 mm (95.3 in)
Length 3,540–3,563 mm (139.4–140.3 in)
Width 1,641 mm (64.6 in)
Height 1,478–1,489 mm (58.2–58.6 in)
Kerb weight 929–997 kg (2,048.1–2,198.0 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor Volkswagen Fox
SEAT Arosa

The Volkswagen Up (stylized as Volkswagen up!) is a city car, part of the Volkswagen Group New Small Family (NSF) series of models, unveiled at the 2011 International Motor Show Germany (IAA). Production of the Up started in December 2011 at the Volkswagen Plant in Bratislava, Slovakia. A battery electric version, called E-up, was launched in autumn 2013. The SEAT Mii and Škoda Citigo are rebadged versions of the Up, with slightly different front and rear fascias, and are manufactured in the same factory.

Overview

Pre-production

The production Up follows a series of concept cars, starting in 2007 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The exterior was originally designed by the Brazilian designer Marco Pavone. This design was chosen and enhanced by Volkswagen Group Chief Designer Walter de'Silva, and Head Designer of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars marque, Klaus Bischoff. Shown at the Frankfurt launch were several further Up concepts, including a 98 hp (73 kW) GT version, a natural gas-powered Eco-up! (with CO
2
emissions of 79 g/km) and a four-door Cross model.

Where the Up concept used a rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, the 2011 production model has a front-engine, front-wheel drive layout, using the NSF platform, with a 3-cylinder 1.0-litre petrol engine.

Production version

At the International Motor Show Germany in 2011, Volkswagen unveiled the final version of the Up based on the Volkswagen New Small Family (NSF) modular architecture. The three-door bodywork is inspired by the 2007 concept Up, the engine range is 1.0 L three-cylinder gasoline 60 hp (45 kW) and 75 hp (56 kW). Both the three and five doors are available with engines running on CNG and called eco-Up. The Up is a front-wheel drive with transverse engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox and is 3.54 metres (139 in) long has a wheelbase of 2.42 m (95 in). The cabin is configured to four or five seats.

Volkswagen announced the Up range will be extended to include a production version of the GT Up concept, for launch in 2013. This will feature a turbocharged version of the 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine producing 110 hp (82 kW) and will look similar to the concept version. An electric hybrid Up — which will be badged Blue-e-motion — will follow.

Along with the other two rebadged models, Up is the first car in its class to offer an automated braking system, called City Emergency Braking. The system is automatically activated at speeds below 30 km/h (19 mph), when a laser sensor identifies a danger of collision and activates the brakes. In the SEAT model, the system is called City Safety Assist and in the Škoda model it is called City Safe Drive.

The Up won the 2012 World Car of the Year.

Marketing

 
VW cross up!

The Up is available to order in the United Kingdom since October 2011 for five models – marketed as Take Up, Move Up, High Up, Up Black and Up White. British television show Top Gear presenters mocked the unusual name by calling the model "Up-exclamation-mark".

The Up was introduced on the German market on 3 December 2011. Deliveries to other European markets began in April 2012.[citation needed]

In 2013, Volkswagen introduced the cross up! model, which has 15 mm more ground clearance than the standard model, and comes with plastic side skirts and wheel-arch flares as standard.

In 2014, at the Geneva Motor Show, Seat presented the 2014 Seat Mii by Mango model aimed towards women, made in collaboration with the Spanish fashion company Mango.

The SEAT Mii limited production started in October 2011 for the European market, with sales having started at the end of 2011. The final version was launched in May 2012. The Škoda Citigo was launched in the Czech Republic in October 2011. The Citigo began sales in other European countries from summer 2012. Plans for sales in Russia and most other CIS countries were cancelled due to its dimensions being deemed too small for the market.

The Up was sold in Australia until 2015, when it was withdrawn due to slow sales. Plans for the Škoda Citigo to be sold in Australia were also shelved. The Škoda Citigo was also sold in Israel and New Zealand for a short time.

There are no plans to sell the Up in North America, or in the CIS countries, Middle East, India, China, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. Japanese sales began 1 October 2012; it and the Polo are the only two VW products that comply with Japanese government dimension regulations. The Up launched in South Africa on 1 March 2015. Two models were offered at launch, both are the 1-litre 55 kW three-door variant. The two local options were marketed as Take Up, and the Move Up.

Latin America

In February 2014, Volkswagen introduced a modified version of the Up for Latin America. The Brazilian-built Up differs from its European counterpart in length (it is 65 mm (3 in) longer), thanks to revisions to the floorpan's rear section to accommodate a larger fuel tank (50L instead of Europe's 35L), a full-sized spare wheel and increased cargo space. All versions have revised tailgates with a painted metal section (like the Seat Mii's and Škoda Citigo's) instead of the dark glass trim used in Europe. The five-door Brazilian Up also uses a different rear door design with sectioned glass and wind-down windows. The South American model retains the European version's safety levels with a five-star crash rating and ample use of high-strength steel elements.

In July 2015, Volkswagen introduced a new powertrain for the Up sold in Brazil, using a 1.0 L, direct fuel injection three-cylinder turbocharged engine. At the Geneva Motor Show in 2016, the model sold in Europe received a facelift and the new TSI engine, that went on sale in the summer the same year.

Up GTI

Volkswagen Up GTI

In mid-December 2016, Volkswagen presented the Up GTI. The car has an 85 kW 1-litre three-cylinder engine. Its top speed is 192 km/h (119 mph) and it can get to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 8.8 seconds. It is the only Up to be available with a six-speed manual gearbox. The Up GTI went on sale in 2018. In April 2019 ordering for the Up GTI was discontinued in the United Kingdom, but in January 2020 VW UK started taking orders again for a lightly refreshed version. The refresh included small optional equipment changes, but no alterations to the powertrain, chassis or brakes.

E-up

 
Volkswagen E-up badge
 
Volkswagen E-up facelift

In July 2010 VW announced the production version of the E-up electric car, with sales scheduled to begin in 2013, and was subsequently unveiled at the September 2013 International Motor Show Germany.[needs update]

The production version has an 18.7 kWh lithium-ion battery able to deliver 160 km (99 miles) on the NEDC cycle, can accelerate from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 12.4 seconds and has a top speed of 130 km/h (81 mph). The E-up can be charged with 2.3 kW plugged into any standard 230 V socket, with 3.6 kW via a home-installed wall box or with up to 40 kW plugged into a DC fast-charging station via the optional Combined Charging System (CCS), which allows the battery to charge up to 80% in under 30 minutes. The production version has the same dimensions as the five-door petrol model with seating for four.

A second generation of the e-up was announced on 5 September 2019 that will have a 32.3 kWh battery, a range of 260 km (160 mi) and efficiency of 12.7 kWh/100 km (4.89 mi/kWh).

The Škoda version was released as the Škoda Citigo-e iV, with a 36.8kWh battery capacity and a range of 270 km (165 miles) under WLTP standard, and was mass produced from autumn 2019. It is the first all-electric car of Škoda Auto and replaced the combustion engine version.

Sales and market

E-up annual EU and EFTA sales statistics
Year Sales (% change from prior year)
2013
 
940
2014
 
5,838(+621%)
2015
 
2,976(-49%)
2016
 
2,576(-13%)
2017
 
3,054(+19%)

Retail deliveries began in Germany in October 2013, followed shortly after by Denmark, Sweden, France, Norway, and the Netherlands, and the UK at the end of January 2014. Pricing in Germany starts at €26,900 (~US$34,500), about €10,000 (~US$12,800) more expensive than the conventional sibling. The E-up! is not sold in the U.S. or Canada.

As of October 2019, the cumulative number of E-ups registered in Norway was 9,993.

As of January 2020, Volkswagen have sold 21,000 E-up! Worldwide.

Technical data

Technical data
  e-up! (2013) e-up! (2019)
Introduced 2013 2019
Transmission Single-speed fixed gear ratio (electric)
Power 60 kW (80 hp)
Torque 210 N⋅m (150 lbf⋅ft)
Battery 18,7kWh (16.8 net) 36,8kWh (32.3 net)
Range 160 km (99 mi) 258 km (160 mi)
Average Energy consumption 11.7 kWh/100km (NEDC) 14.9 kWh/100km
Drag coefficient Cd 0.281 0.308
charge time AC 9 h (3,3kW) 11 h (7,1kW)
charge time DC 0.5 h (40kW) 0.75 h (40kW)
0–100 km/h

(62 mph)

12.4 sec
Curb weight

All fluids, 50% fuel

1,139 kg (2,511 lb) 1,229 kg (2,709 lb)
Top speed 130 km/h
Dimensions
(length/width/height in mm):
3540/1645/1477mm 3600/1645/1492mm
Base price  €26,900  €21,975

Engines

 
Interior (pre-facelift)
Pre-facelift 3-door
Pre-facelift 5-door
2017 facelift (3-door)
2017 facelift (5-door)

Both engines are also available with BlueMotion technologies (SEAT: Ecomotive, Škoda: Green Tech), which incorporates a start-stop system and regenerative brakes to reduce carbon emissions. Depending on markets, some 60PS and 75PS models are available with optional five-speed automatic transmission.

Version 1.0 (60 PS) 1.0 (75 PS) 1.0 (90 PS) 1.0 (101 PS) 1.0 (115 PS)
Type and number of cylinders Straight-three engine with multi-point fuel-injection Straight-three turbocharged engine with direct fuel-injection Straight-three high-pressure turbo engine with direct fuel-injection
Valves 12
Displacement 999 cc (1 L; 61 cu in)
Power 44 kW (60 PS; 59 hp) @ 5,000 rpm 55 kW (75 PS; 74 hp) @ 6,200 rpm 66 kW (90 PS; 89 hp) @ 5,000–5,500 rpm 75 kW (102 PS; 101 hp) @ 5,000 rpm 85 kW (116 PS; 114 hp) @ 5,000 rpm
Torque 95 N⋅m (70 lbf⋅ft) @ 3,000–4,300 rpm 160 N⋅m (118 lbf⋅ft) @ 1,500–3,000 rpm 164.5 N⋅m (121 lbf⋅ft) @ 1,500 rpm 200 N⋅m (148 lbf⋅ft) @ 2000 rpm
Transmission, standard 5-speed manual 6-speed manual
Transmission, optional 5-speed automatically shifted manual gearbox (ASG gearbox) None
Top speed 161 km/h (100 mph) 171 km/h (106 mph) 185 km/h (115 mph) 184 km/h (114 mph) 192 km/h (119 mph)
Acceleration, 0–100 km/h (0-62 mph) 14.4 seconds 13.2 seconds 9.9 seconds 9.1 seconds 8.8 seconds
Fuel consumption
(combined, EU-norm)
4.5 L/100 km (63 mpg‑imp; 52 mpg‑US) 4.7 L/100 km (60 mpg‑imp; 50 mpg‑US) 4.4 L/100 km (64 mpg‑imp; 53 mpg‑US)    
CO2 emission, combined (g/km) 105 (BlueMotion 96) 108 (BlueMotion 98) 101    
European emission standards Euro 5 Euro 6

 

Safety

In 2011, the SEAT Mii was evaluated for its safety performance under the Euro NCAP assessment scheme and it achieved a 5-star overall rating:

Euro NCAP test results
Volkswagen up! (2011)
Test Points %
Overall: 5 /5 stars
Adult occupant: 32 89%
Child occupant: 39 80%
Pedestrian: 17 46%
Safety assist: 6 86%

In 2014, the Latin-American Volkswagen Up was evaluated under the Latin NCAP assessment and achieved a 5-star security rating for adults and 4-star security rating for children:

Test Score Points
Adult 93.29% (5-star) 15.86 out of 17
Children 80.69% (4-star) 39.54 out of 49

Environmental performance

In February 2019 Green NCAP assessed Volkswagen Up GTI with 1.0 L TSI engine and 6-speed manual gearbox:

Green NCAP test resultsVW Up (2019)
GTI 4x2 manual
Test Points
Overall: 4 /5 stars
 
Clean Air Index: 9.2 /10
adequate Laboratory Tests HC CO NOx PN
8.3/9 Cold test good good good adequate
3.0/3 Warm test good good good good
3.0/3 Eco Mode good good good good
3.0/3 Sport Mode good good good good
7.0/9 Highway good weak good marginal
good Road Test HC CO NOx PN
7.0/7 On-Road Drive n.a. good good good
adequate Robustness
 
Energy Efficiency Index: 6.7 /10
adequate Laboratory Tests Energy Efficiency
8.8/10 Cold test adequate
2.7/3 Warm test adequate
2.7/3 Eco Mode adequate
2.7/3 Sport Mode adequate
5.7/10 Highway marginal

Concept models

From 2007 through to 2010 Volkswagen showed a number of concept versions of the Up prior to the launch of the production-ready version in 2011.

2007 Up concept

The two-door Up concept debuted at the 2007 IAA International Motor Show Germany in Germany, with a rear-wheel drive, rear-mounted, boxer engine and 18 inch wheels.

The interior is designed to accommodate four adults, and features flat-folding, air inflatable seats. It also has two monitors on the dashboard, one showing vehicle statistics and the other controlling the in-car multimedia system. The car measures 3.45 metres (11 ft 4 in) in length and has a width of 1.63 metres (5 ft 4 in).

2007 Space Up concept

 
Volkswagen Space Up concept

The four-door four-seater mini MPV styled space up! concept car debuted at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show in Japan.

The Space Up concept had all the features of the first concept, but with four-doors and 23 centimetres (9.1 in) longer at 3.68 metres (12 ft 1 in) (15 centimetres (5.9 in) shorter than the Volkswagen Fox). The 'butterfly' doors open in a similar manner to those on the Mazda RX-8; the front doors conventionally hinged at the front, whilst the rears are hinged at the rear from the C-pillar, eliminating the B-pillar. Its wheelbase is also larger at 2.56 metres (8 ft 5 in) but retains the same width as the Up at 1.63 metres (5 ft 4 in).

Also for the first time Volkswagen showed images of its internal combustion engine, a Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) petrol engine.

2007 Space Up Blue Concept

The four-seater space up! blue concept, the third variant of the Volkswagen Up concept series, debuted at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The Space Up Blue was visually the same as the Space Up and shared its length and width, but it included a different roof with a 150 watt solar cell which recharges the batteries. This means its height increases to 1.57 metres (5 ft 2 in) and the curb weight is a 1,090 kg (2,403 lb).

Twelve lithium-ion batteries give the Space Up Blue 45 kW (61 PS; 60 bhp) of power and a 65 miles (105 km) range. Combined with Volkswagen's world's first hydrogen high temperature fuel cells (HT-FC), range is extended by 155 miles (250 km) giving total range of 220 miles (350 km).

2009 E-up concept car

 
Volkswagen E-up concept car as shown at the IAA 2009

The two-door Volkswagen e-up! zero-emissions concept debuted at the 63rd International Motor Show Germany in 2009.

The 3.19 metres (10 ft 6 in) long all-electric E-up uses a 3+1 seat configuration. It uses a 60 kW (82 PS; 80 bhp) (continuously rated at 40 kW (54 PS; 54 bhp)) all-integrated drive electric motor, mounted at the front and drives the front wheels. This electric motor generates a torque turning force of 210 N⋅m (155 lb⋅ft) from rest. Power is sourced from 18 kilowatt-hours (kWh) lithium-ion batteries, which will give a range up to 130 km (81 miles). Quick charging will charge the battery up to 80% in an hour, while a regular 230 volt plug will take five hours. The roof of the E-up has a 1.4 square metre solar cell which supplies power to the vehicle's electrics, and when parked can power ventilation fans to help cool the interior when parked in bright sunlight on a hot day. The solar cells can be increased in size to a total area of 1.7 square metre by folding down the sun visors.

With a curb weight of 1,085 kg (2,392 lb), it can accelerate from rest to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 11.3 seconds; and should reach a top speed of 135 km/h (83.9 mph). The E-up concept is 3.19 metres (10 ft 6 in) long, 1.64 metres (5 ft 5 in) wide, 1.47 metres (4 ft 10 in) high, and has a wheelbase of 2.19 metres (7 ft 2 in).

Interior equipment includes a touch-screen human machine interface (HMI), one notable feature allows the charge to be delayed within the HMI programming, utilising cheap-rate night-time electricity—and this can also be remotely programmed via an iPhone or similar device.

 

2009 Up Lite concept

 
Volkswagen Up Lite at the 2009 LA Auto Show.

The Volkswagen up! Lite was revealed at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. It is a four-seater hybrid concept car based on Volkswagen L1 technologies. The Volkswagen Up Lite concept car has a hybrid powertrain with one 0.8 litres (48.8 cu in) two-cylinder Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) diesel engine and one 10 kW (14 PS; 13 bhp) electric motor, using a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Its technical dimension is about 3.84 metres (12 ft 7 in) in length, 1.60 metres (5 ft 3 in) in width and 1.40 metres (4 ft 7 in) high. It weighs 695 kg (1,532 lb), has a top-speed of 160 km/h (99 mph), and CO2 emission not more than 65 g/km.

 

2010 Volkswagen IN

The Volkswagen IN is a design study created by Brazilian interns of Volkswagen do Brasil which carries a significant resemblance to the Up concept cars. It is a two-seater plus luggage sub-compact capable of adopting a variety of powertrains, including a fully electric one using in-wheels electric engines. The mock-up in 1:1 scale was presented to the press on 29 January 2010.

2011 Buggy Up

 
The Buggy Up at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

The Volkswagen Buggy Up! concept debuted at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany.

The Buggy Up is a dune buggy based on the Up platform. It is 3,584 mm (141.1 in) long, 1,672 mm (65.8 in) wide, and 1,288 mm (50.7 in) tall. It has a door-less design, convertible canvas roof, waterproof interior, and a reinforced frame with ride height reduced by 0.8 inches (2.0 cm).

 

2011 Up Azzurra Sailing Team

 
The Up Azzurra at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

The Up! Azzurra Sailing Team concept debuted at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany.

The Azzurra was designed to look and feel like a luxury yacht, with a fully waterproof interior, blue and white leather seats, and chrome and wood trim. The rear seats have wooden backs, so when they are folded down the trunk looks like the deck of a yacht. It has no roof, and wooden railings in place of the doors and rear hatch.

 

Awards

  • Scottish Car of the Year 'Compact Car of the Year' 2012
  • Top Gear Magazine 'Small Car of the Year' 2011
  • What Car? 'Car of the Year' 2012
  • What Car? 'City Car of the Year' 2013
  • World Car of the Year 2012

Sales

 
Year Europe
VW Up! Škoda Citigo SEAT Mii
2011 4,582 372 419
2012 113,827 18,827 27,673
2013 130,039 28,608 44,851
2014 124,845 24,865 40,616
2015 105,348 24,298 38,735
2016 96,836 19,882 38,664
2017 100,715 15,412 35,698
2018 97,366 13,031 36,450
2019 80,048 12,641 30,786
2020 59,578 7,790 14,120