RE: Volkswagen Up GTI: PH Fleet

RE: Volkswagen Up GTI: PH Fleet

Author
Discussion

jet_noise

5,795 posts

188 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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re33 said:
jet_noise said:
Mildly informative background piece but...

...surely you've (Dafydd?) got some first impressions. Not too much to ask, surely?
I guess you could look at the previous review or head to head linked in the article? Whatever makes you happy though.
Of course I'm aware of those.
It's new stuff with this car in which I'm interested.

andrewparker

8,014 posts

193 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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oilit said:
wow thanks for explaining - it wasnt clear in the picture if it was a phone mount or a fixed display addition.

I completely agree it's better to have it as an app than a baked in device.

As for who cares what it looks like - well it's a good job we are all different, but I certainly would care - because as the driver I would have to see that everyday !!!! and this just looks like an aftermarket stick on phone mount from halfords - hence my comment.
Must admit, I am not at all keen on the look of the cradle, or the implementation of the phone app interface. Thankfully you can remove the cradle and insert a blanking plate where it connects to the dash. I'll be doing that and just using Bluetooth to stream music etc.

WCZ

10,779 posts

200 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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heavier and less power than the lupo gti?

rb_89

113 posts

76 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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Looks like a good laugh, although I think i'd have to have at that price point the Swift Sport.. faster, more kit, good ol' Suzuki reliability (although I am a bias ex zc32s owner :P)

andrewparker

8,014 posts

193 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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rb_89 said:
Looks like a good laugh, although I think i'd have to have at that price point the Swift Sport.. faster, more kit, good ol' Suzuki reliability (although I am a bias ex zc32s owner :P)
At least Suzuki will sell you one and deliver it within a decent timeframe, although in the head-to-head tests I’ve read the up! GTI has came out on top.

https://www.whatcar.com/news/suzuki-swift-sport-vs...

Dale487

1,381 posts

129 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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WCZ said:
heavier and less power than the lupo gti?
It was original made as an Up! GT, EVO Magazine tested a production ready prototype about 6 years ago - and I waited & waited for it to be launched, gave up - bought a 105 TSI Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo (great car, a 6 speed box would have been nice though), had it for 3 years, trade up to a Leon Estate (as I needed the room for baby and prams etc) and only then did they launch this. If we ever needed a second car I'd have one in flash - a little more power than the Skoda, a bit less weight and an extra gear.

mooseracer

2,084 posts

176 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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I - probably irrationally - find it a shame VW wont let you turn off the electric nannys.

Love small, cheap fun cars to thrash around, but not an ecu telling me I've gone too far

Edited to add I always have a suspicion companies do this to mask something crap in the chassis

DoubleD

22,154 posts

114 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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Mackofthejungle said:
I have the same issues with this I had a year ago when it was announced - too heavy by 100kgs, the wrong engine, and the wheels are far too big.

These small turbos just don't work - you might as well have a turbo diesel, because at least with them you get something resembling throttle response. They need to be raggable!

Still, it's a great price and looks fantastic - and the base car is one of the nicest places to sit at any price as it is, so this will work. I'd love a go, and might consider one in a couple of years - small cars are just better cars.
Where do you think VW could remove 100kg from?

andrewparker

8,014 posts

193 months

Friday 10th August 2018
quotequote all
mooseracer said:
I - probably irrationally - find it a shame VW wont let you turn off the electric nannys.

Love small, cheap fun cars to thrash around, but not an ecu telling me I've gone too far
You can turn it off via VCDS, but obviously expect warranty/insurance implications.

patmahe

5,835 posts

210 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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This car and the current and previous generations of the Suzuki Swift Sport are the most exciting cars on sale today for me for a few reasons.

  • I am at the stage of life where I have bought my 'forever home' and am in the process of getting it how I want it so funds for anything else are tight.
  • They are available as a 5 door (a must for us for practicality as this cannot just be a plaything it must earn its way)
  • I can realistically afford to buy and run one without making huge sacrifices in other areas of my life, been there and done that, it wasn't fun.
  • I have an MX-5 NA in the garage for track duties and sunny evenings. Cannot afford to track something of this value with all the risk that that entails (as I said funds are tight)
I always believed that there was a trick missed with the original Aygo/107/C1 that there wasn't a performance version. Maybe it wouldn't have been met with the same enthusiasm but I think this car proves there is a market for it. A car like this can be all things to all men. GT86 and current MX5 are great if you can sacrifice the practicality and are willing to spend a few more quid, but in terms of a way to have your cake and eat it too this is hard to beat.

The authour asks what we want to know about the car, for me its ride comfort, not the most exciting topic in the world I know, but important for a potential customer as a lot of modern cars ride quite harshly and I live in a place where a lot of the roads are good in terms of corners but awful in terms of surface and undulations, so how does this compare to the standard UP or indeed its rival the swift sport?

rtz62

3,457 posts

161 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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DoubleD said:
Mackofthejungle said:
I have the same issues with this I had a year ago when it was announced - too heavy by 100kgs, the wrong engine, and the wheels are far too big.

These small turbos just don't work - you might as well have a turbo diesel, because at least with them you get something resembling throttle response. They need to be raggable!

Still, it's a great price and looks fantastic - and the base car is one of the nicest places to sit at any price as it is, so this will work. I'd love a go, and might consider one in a couple of years - small cars are just better cars.
Where do you think VW could remove 100kg from?
I’d leave behind my hippopotamus-sized ex-wife 😜

SevenR

242 posts

170 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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I'm sure it'll be amazing. I loved my brand new Kia Piccanto when I bought it. It was fantastic to thrash about. Always wanted a faster version. This looks like the answer.

Mike1990

1,022 posts

137 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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SevenR said:
I'm sure it'll be amazing. I loved my brand new Kia Piccanto when I bought it. It was fantastic to thrash about. Always wanted a faster version. This looks like the answer.
They do a Piccanto GT-Line i believe, I'am sure it has about 100ps or there abouts.

Spistonhead

2 posts

74 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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£14k! Look out for a Fiat panda sporting multijet for £1.4k . The little 1250cc 4 cyl diesel is a peach of a motor with a chain cam . It has 16 valves and double overhead cams .....and the turbo! And no DPF! Remapped it’ll produce around 100bhp with loads of mid range grunt. Get the motor running right and make sure the wastegate doesn’t jam and you’re away. Pootle and you’ll get 70 plus mpg.....rag it and it falls to 55! Had some fun in mine this summer around the Milton Keynes racetracks!!! But change oil every 7k or so as it only holds 2.5 litres. Knockout little hottish hatch......with five doors too!

andrewparker

8,014 posts

193 months

Friday 10th August 2018
quotequote all
Spistonhead said:
£14k! Look out for a Fiat panda sporting multijet for £1.4k . The little 1250cc 4 cyl diesel is a peach of a motor with a chain cam . It has 16 valves and double overhead cams .....and the turbo! And no DPF! Remapped it’ll produce around 100bhp with loads of mid range grunt. Get the motor running right and make sure the wastegate doesn’t jam and you’re away. Pootle and you’ll get 70 plus mpg.....rag it and it falls to 55! Had some fun in mine this summer around the Milton Keynes racetracks!!! But change oil every 7k or so as it only holds 2.5 litres. Knockout little hottish hatch......with five doors too!
Yeah, I'm alright thanks, will stick with the GTI.

Mercury00

4,128 posts

162 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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As a Swift Sport fanboy (I've owned three) I think the new one has lost it's way. For me it was always about cheap, no-nonsense fun, but the new one is too expensive and filled with tat I don't need - a g-force monitor, diamond cut alloys, carbon fibre effect body kit, touchscreen etc.

Anyway, I feel like the Up GTI has filled the space left by the old Swift.

Fiesta1.0L

99 posts

104 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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andrewparker said:
By the way, where can you get a new MX5 for £15k? Even DTD are showing £17500 for a totally standard base car?
Broadspeed for about 15,600 iirc.

Jonesy23

4,650 posts

142 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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Any particular reason a car like this needed to come with a tracker? Are they that easy to borrow?

Toyoda

1,557 posts

106 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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Mercury00 said:
As a Swift Sport fanboy (I've owned three) I think the new one has lost it's way. For me it was always about cheap, no-nonsense fun, but the new one is too expensive and filled with tat I don't need - a g-force monitor, diamond cut alloys, carbon fibre effect body kit, touchscreen etc.

Anyway, I feel like the Up GTI has filled the space left by the old Swift.
Keep the jap faith man! I see your point about the swift but you know deep down that this faux gti on pram wheels is inferior.

andrewparker

8,014 posts

193 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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Toyoda said:
Keep the jap faith man! I see your point about the swift but you know deep down that this faux gti on pram wheels is inferior.
In what way? Genuinely interested...