VOLKSWAGEN

up!

With character galore, the up! may be one of the smallest cars in its class, but it packs a mighty punch. Excellent fuel efficiency and impressive handling are both worth a mention and there is an electrically-powered model too.

Test Drive

VW e-up! 82PS 5-door

It might sound like its auditioning for a role in Emmerdale, but Volkswagen’s e-up! is anything but an extra.

Based on the range-topping High up!, this five-door electrically-powered model has a range of about 80 miles and makes the ideal city run-around.

Like all electric vehicles, it comes with a hefty price-tag – £19,250 including the Government’s £5 grant – but it does make perfect sense for anyone living within a short commute of their workplace or in areas with a congestion charge – the e-up! is exempt from such charges.

It looks pretty dapper too with smart alloys, body-coloured door mirrors, door handles and bumpers, heat insulating green tinted glass, LED daytime running lights and a blue surround to the VW badging.

The interior is incredibly modern in its design and appearance with a pure white upper dashboard fascia, chrome effect door handles, leather-trimming on the gear stick, handbrake and steering wheel and a simplistic, yet effective instrument layout.

Techno treats are plentiful and include a DAB digital radio and CD player, cruise control, heated seats, sat nav and air conditioning.

A smartphone app can be used to monitor the car’s charge or pre-programme the vehicle’s heater so it’s nice and warm when you get in.

The instrumentation is slightly different too with the fuel gauge replaced with a battery indicator and another dial displaying power flow.

The car features a regenerative braking system which means you can drive around a city loop without touching the brakes. The e-up! slows down dramatically when you take your foot off the accelerator and the brake lights are activated automatically to warn following drivers.

This process also diverts power back to the batteries so more miles can be clocked up.

But don’t be fooled into thinking the e-up! is only good in slow-moving traffic. For this lively newcomer can reach 62mph from a standing start in 12.4 seconds and tops out at 81mph.

And it is also beautifully simple to drive as there are no gears – just forward and reverse.

Different driving modes can be implemented to help conserve power such as Eco+ which disables any heater functions in the car.

Pulling away in complete silence does take a little getting used to but the car’s overall handling was most impressive.

The acceleration was lively and the all-round visibility excellent. The extra 200kg weight of the e-up! due to its battery gives it a lower centre of gravity and that in turn assists with the driving dynamics.

Safety specifications are comprehensive too and include anti-lock brakes, hydraulic brake assist, electronic stabilisation programme, traction control, numerous airbags and city emergency braking.

All in all, the e-up! is a great arrival on the EV scene.

Once people get to grips with the concept and the costs come down, sales are sure to soar.

Test Drive

VW Take up! 1.0-litre 60PS

Talk about back to basics – the latest VW city run-around has manual window winders and no central locking – in a way it is a wonderful reminder of what cars used to be like but with a very modern slant.

For the up! may lack a few of the finer details and creature comforts we have become accustomed to, but it is still brilliant fun to drive both in busy city centres and out on the open road.

The car looks snazzy from all angles with a front grille that seems to have a beaming grin to greet you. The test model featured Tornado Red paintwork with body-coloured bumpers, black door mirrors and door handles and heat insulating green tinted glass. It’s a car that isn’t hard to find in a crowded car park!

The three-cylinder, 1.0-litre petrol-powered engine certainly has enough oomph to drive the little three-door hatchback and acceleration through the five-speed manual transmission is very smooth.

The Take up! model tested was nippy around town and parking such a little vehicle was a complete doddle.

But even on the motorway it cruised along effortlessly easily holding its own with faster moving traffic.

It can sprint to 62mph from a standing start in 14.4 seconds and tops out at 99mph. But, more importantly it can deliver combined fuel efficiency of 62.8mpg with CO2 emissions of just 105g/km.

The insulated cabin keeps lots of engine and road surface noise at bay, but it does start to filter through quite a bit at higher speeds.

Comfort levels are really good and the interior, although basic, is neat, clear and precise.

There is room for two back seat passengers although leg room is a little restricted and the boot can easily accommodate the weekly shopping or larger items with the bench-style rear seat folded flat.

The very large front windows mean the driver benefits from excellent all-round visibility and there is a sound system incorporating radio, CD player and MP3 compatibility.

The test car featured a satellite navigation system with Bluetooth facilities for an additional £290. Another optional extra costing £400 was the driver’s assistance pack with city emergency braking, a front passenger airbag deactivation switch and electronic stability programme with traction control.

Standard safety features on the vehicle include anti-lock brakes with hydraulic brake assist, numerous airbags and an engine immobiliser.

My only gripe after a week-long test was the size of the steering wheel – it just feels too big for the car and a sportier wheel would be far more in keeping with car’s character.

That aside though, great fun and a welcome change from the norm.