RE: Volkswagen Up! GTI: Driven

[8V085]

M1C said:

The thing i noticed with the 90PS one (which i believe is the same engine in a lower tune) was the slightly mushy throttle response that you tend to get from turbo, compared with a n/a. So whilst the 90 was much quicker than the 60 and 75 n/a variants, it perhaps didn't have the initial quick responses that they give.

It was more of a press...wait...and go style.

So like Ferrari F40 then. We have a new proper (very junior) supercar in the house!

[nickfrog]

M1C said:

I also see the Swift GTi as more of a rival to this than the Polo. Yes, it's more 'Polo' in size..but i anticipate a £14kish price (isnt the Polo GTi closer to £20k?) and the 140ps engine is also a lot less than the 200ish from the Polo.

I see the Swift giving this up! a hard time to be honest as previous Swifts have been well sorted. Lets hope they dont mess it up.

Yes the Swift is almost exactly between the two in length but it will probably be as light as the UP!. If the price like for like (the Suzuki will be very well equipped as std) is similar then for me the choice would be obvious, depending how they driver of course and one's need to have a VW badge or one's subjective preference for the looks of one or the other (if that's important).

[mat205125]

ManicMunky said:

Very very tempted... will have to see what the PCP deals are on the 6th of Feb

I was thinking exactly the same.

This could be the ideal fun commuter for me and for a lot of people.

Maybe shave 20mm from the ride height though

[mat205125]

loose cannon said:

HTP99 said:

In his defence though you did say:

"take the vw badge off and nobody would buy a single one of them"

And neither the Mii or Citigo have a VW badge.

I think you will find they have many vw badges as do most vag products there printed on virtually every part
But to be fair if I was a vw fan boi I still wouldn’t buy one because I would rather buy a lupo which looks about a 25 year newer design

I'm no fondler of interior plastics, or disciple of any particular brand, however the nice bits of this car are the little links back to the Mk1 golf IMO

[WCZ]

doesn't seem that special, esp compared to the lupo gti but at least it'll be easier to tune

[Dyl]

MOBB said:

andrewparker said:

Do like in the Dark Silver / Black roof combo

Well I was all set for red until you posted that....

Me too.

Looking at one of these to replace my red 2016 Polo GTI, and was gong to go for red again. This looks brilliant though.

[Toyoda]

It's like a VW fanboi party in here! Tell me how it's so different to a 1.0 Ecoboost fiesta with either 125 or 140 bhp!?

[Mr2Mike]

Scoobysaurus said:

I assume we can expect the Skoda Citigo GTI at some point as well. The regular Citigo is a hoot to drive, cheaper and I think better looking than the VW versions.

I'm not sure that's a given, Skoda and Seat don't even make the 90PS versions of the Citigo/Mii.

[8V085]

Toyoda said:

It's like a VW fanboi party in here! Tell me how it's so different to a 1.0 Ecoboost fiesta with either 125 or 140 bhp!?

Does Ford put 1.0 Ecoboost with 125/140bhp into Ka?

[MOBB]

Toyoda said:

It's like a VW fanboi party in here! Tell me how it's so different to a 1.0 Ecoboost fiesta with either 125 or 140 bhp!?

Next segment up - A Ka ST would be more comparable if they did one.

The Fiesta is superb though (had 3 including an ST), I just fancy something different.

[Toyoda]

Well no st it's the next segment up, but if we're talking about the pure feel of the car, and general dimensions rather than specifics, then the Up is hardly a revolutionary product.

[MOBB]

[Max M4X WW]

dxg said:

funinhounslow said:

mcg_ said:

I imagine when the lupo GTI was released it was more ground breaking (lighter than this, more power and.....rear discs ha)

Still, hopefully the misses can be persuaded to get one!

Incredibly this is only slightly more than the Lupo cost back in 2001- £13,000.

£14650 with air con and leather seats...

Really? No air-con standard?

[Dyl]

Max M4X WW said:

dxg said:

funinhounslow said:

mcg_ said:

I imagine when the lupo GTI was released it was more ground breaking (lighter than this, more power and.....rear discs ha)

Still, hopefully the misses can be persuaded to get one!

Incredibly this is only slightly more than the Lupo cost back in 2001- £13,000.

£14650 with air con and leather seats...

Really? No air-con standard?

AC standard as far as I know, climate control optional.

[J4CKO]

No one car is all things to all men (and women) but there is a gap in the market for this, the other city cars dont really have hot versions, ok there is the Swift but that is a bit bigger (though similar weight) and its a bit ugly, and wrong badge for many. As has been said, no hot Ford below a Fiesta, no hot version of the Aygo/C1/107, Audi A1's are bigger and pretty expensive, ditto Polo GTI, Vauxhall dont do anything similar, the Koreans dont either, VAG have three versions of the UP with different badges, some excellent tiny cars out there but none with anything above adequate-ish power.

Toyota etc have been missing a trick for an Aygo GTI for years, VW have spotted the gap and are exploiting it, plenty of Misty eyed old berks like me wanting to relive their Mk1 GTI moments, just need a Charlatans/Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, Wonderstuff mix tape, "Fat Willys Surf Shack" Sticker, some Joe Bloggs clothes and a willing red headed bird from Wales to complete the re-enactment.

[andrewparker]

Dyl said:

AC standard as far as I know, climate control optional.

Yep, heated seats and climate control are options. Not sure why anyone would go for climate control in a small car like the up!

Knowing what we know now mine would be a 3 door in dark grey with black roof, and heated seats. No other options.

[Luke.]

andrewparker said:

Yep, heated seats and climate control are options. Not sure why anyone would go for climate control in a small car like the up!

Knowing what we know now mine would be a 3 door in dark grey with black roof, and heated seats. No other options.

Heated seats are standard I think.

[Fetchez la vache]

andrewparker said:

There is a weird pleasure to be had from getting the most out of a car that doesn't have you recklessly exceeding the speed limit with the slightest press of the accelerator.

Quite. I love ragging the wifes Cactus which no one would ever call sporty.

I hope and expect this to sell like hot cakes (another cliche off the list).

Loving the fact so many people can't get their head around this little car (and it is little) because people have become so used to bloated heavy bd huge barges you can't even park in the city half the time.
I enjoyed driving the odd Lupo back in the day but for people the think the average joe/joanna would rather an old Lupo than a new Up! is laughable. What's the pcp on a Lupo these days btw?

[dxg]

Dyl said:

Max M4X WW said:

dxg said:

funinhounslow said:

mcg_ said:

I imagine when the lupo GTI was released it was more ground breaking (lighter than this, more power and.....rear discs ha)

Still, hopefully the misses can be persuaded to get one!

Incredibly this is only slightly more than the Lupo cost back in 2001- £13,000.

£14650 with air con and leather seats...

Really? No air-con standard?

AC standard as far as I know, climate control optional.

Sorry, I was talking about how much the Lupo GTI cost, back in the day... I remember staring at that figure and not being quite able to justify it. I have one now though, and today's review makes me think I might get one of these, too. I'd have the pair, as the Lupo's a fantastic little car...

[Toyoda]

J4CKO said:

Toyota etc have been missing a trick for an Aygo GTI for years, VW have spotted the gap and are exploiting it, plenty of Misty eyed old berks like me wanting to relive their Mk1 GTI moments, just need a Charlatans/Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, Wonderstuff mix tape, "Fat Willys Surf Shack" Sticker, some Joe Bloggs clothes and a willing red headed bird from Wales to complete the re-enactment.

I agree a warmed up Aygo/C1/107 would have been nice, surely they would have scoped it out but mustn't have thought it viable. I appreciate i'm coming across as a miserable old git on this thread but don't you feel that your Fiesta offers the same cheap thrills as this new Up? I'm sure with your 140 bhp (available as standard, but in your case mildly remapped) would be more than a match for the Up? I dunno, I guess the GTi moniker is a bit of a misnomer, perhaps if it was a GTi line or R line, ha) then I'd be more accepting of it.