RE: Volkswagen Up 1.0 TSI: Spotted

RE: Volkswagen Up 1.0 TSI: Spotted

Sunday 4th November 2018

Volkswagen Up 1.0 TSI: Spotted

The Up GTI is a worthy winner, but could you achieve the same for a lot less



I agree with Dafydd that the Up GTI is a nice car. I've had a go in one earlier this year and loved its cheeky character, diminutive dimensions, lightness, but most importantly, the additional power over the weedy naturally aspirated Up. However, I've also driven a normal, turbocharged Up and was also impressed by its cheeky character, diminutive dimensions, lightness, but most importantly, the additional power over the weedy natural aspirated Up. This has gotten me thinking, could you do an Up GTI on the cheap?

Now, I know this is going to sound like the classic case of relieving oneself all over another person's (or in this case, Volkswagen's) bonfire, but I don't think the Up GTI is significantly different over the regular car to justify the expense. It's fun, don't get me wrong. It's just that like most modern cars it'll err on the side of caution and the stability control will cut in early to kill any tyre-scrabbling antics just like the regular car, and both change direction just as quickly because of their relative lack of weight. Other than an extra ratio in the gearbox, you are actually splitting hairs trying to tell them apart.


Volkswagen could have gone quite a lot further with this car, but didn't. And why should they have bothered to, because what competition does it actually have? The Renault Twingo GT is a dud and the only fans of the Abarth 595 are chiropractors because the ride does your back in.So, I propose that you could buy yourself a standard, used 1.0-litre TSI Up with its 89bhp engine and then employ the services of a tuning specialist to fiddle with the ECU to up the power. The GTI has 115hp and produces 148lb ft of torque from 2,000-3,500rpm, which are very healthy numbers for a tiddly little car. A quick search on Google brings up a number of tuning companies, but I found one that says it can up your Up's potential to 131hp and 183lb ft of torque at 3,250rpm. Serious numbers that they say are within tolerance. So much so, they'll back up their work with a 12-month/30,000-mile warranty.

Are there drawbacks? Well, yes. Firstly, I think Volkswagen will take a dim view of any modification you do and will use that to invalidate the manufacturer's warranty on the engine. You'll also need to inform your insurer to keep things above board. However, you'll end up with the ultimate Q-car Up that will be faster than the more obvious GTI version. Get yourself a High Up like the one we've found and barring the sixth gear, you'll have the same specification as the GTI, and all for thousands less than the £14,055 car PH currently has on its fleet. I know I'm tempted...


SPECIFICATION: VOLKSWAGEN UP 1.0 TSI

Engine: 999cc, three-cylinder, turbo
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power(hp): 89@5,000rpm
Torque(lb ft): 118@2,000-3,500rpm
MPG: 64.2mpg
CO2: 101g/km
First registered: 2018
Recorded mileage: 5,000 miles
Price new: £13,120
Yours for: £10,999

See the full ad here.

Author
Discussion

Dale487

Original Poster:

1,334 posts

122 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
May be in a few years time, i.e. Once it's out of warranty, cheaper & the price gap opens up. And I suspect an Up GTI will be cheaper to insure than a modified Up TSI, you know what insurance companies are like.

Plus looking at this the a decent part of the Up GTI's appeal are the understated sporty looks - a Q-car does have an appeal of its own too. And I always felt my MK2 Fabia Monte Carlo 105TSI would have benefitted from a 6th gear ratio, I can't see the Up being any different.

pwj1959

10 posts

127 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
Errrrr GTi steering wheel (straight from the Golf GTi), interior, uprated brakes & suspension........the UP GTi looking more like a bargain. Did you mention the cost of the 'chip'? Go through a broker (I have) for nearly £1k off list........more of a bargain!

Toyoda

1,557 posts

99 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
A certain poster incoming in 3, 2, 1 ...

But as above, assuming uprated suspension and brakes on the gti, the idea of tuning the boggo model makes little sense, not unless they could be had for half the price.

Edited by Toyoda on Sunday 4th November 09:02

kieranblenk

865 posts

133 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
Dale487 said:
May be in a few years time, i.e. Once it's out of warranty, cheaper & the price gap opens up. And I suspect an Up GTI will be cheaper to insure than a modified Up TSI, you know what insurance companies are like.

Plus looking at this the a decent part of the Up GTI's appeal are the understated sporty looks - a Q-car does have an appeal of its own too. And I always felt my MK2 Fabia Monte Carlo 105TSI would have benefitted from a 6th gear ratio, I can't see the Up being any different.
I have the Mk3 Fabia Monte Carlo with the 110 TSI and 6 speed box - its very refined at speed so I would want the 6 speed again in a similar powered car. It doesn't have much pull in sixth obviously but does settle the car down a lot. I can imagine the Up TSI is a fair bit busier than the GTI.

Ron99

1,985 posts

80 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
The 90PS engine is fitted with noticeably longer gearing than the 115PS so it might not matter that the 90PS doesn't have 6th gear.

BeirutTaxi

6,627 posts

213 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
For the money you could have a 66 plate Octavia or Leon on sub 20k miles ... Both are nicer in every aspect you can think of.

Alucidnation

16,810 posts

169 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
BeirutTaxi said:
For the money you could have a 66 plate Octavia or Leon on sub 20k miles ... Both are nicer in every aspect you can think of.
Excellent comparison.

rolleyes

Ron99

1,985 posts

80 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
BeirutTaxi said:
For the money you could have a 66 plate Octavia or Leon on sub 20k miles ... Both are nicer in every aspect you can think of.
And unlike the Up, neither would fit in my garage.

Mr Tom

618 posts

140 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
Interesting article but I cannot get past ‘this has gotten me thinking’.
Is gotten a word? and wouldn’t ‘got’ been ok in this situation?

BeirutTaxi

6,627 posts

213 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
Alucidnation said:
Excellent comparison.

rolleyes
It is a great comparison.. It's not like the Leon is a big car and it's hard to see why you would choose the UP over it (comparing used vs used).

Personally, I don't see the UP as anything more than an expensive city car that doesn't offer as much value for money as its rivals or even cars two classes above. Some will delude themselves into thinking its the current 'original Mini' and will be worse off for it.

Edited by BeirutTaxi on Sunday 4th November 10:51

Debaser

5,665 posts

260 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
Leave it standard so no warranty issues, and thrash the living st out of it.

neil-1323bolts

1,079 posts

105 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
Debaser said:
Leave it standard so no warranty issues, and thrash the living st out of it.
Excellent reply

HRCM

70 posts

88 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
Mr Tom said:
Interesting article but I cannot get past ‘this has gotten me thinking’.
Is gotten a word? and wouldn’t ‘got’ been ok in this situation?
Not just me then…

Highway Star

3,573 posts

230 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
HRCM said:
Mr Tom said:
Interesting article but I cannot get past ‘this has gotten me thinking’.
Is gotten a word? and wouldn’t ‘got’ been ok in this situation?
Not just me then…
Just 'this has me thinking'.

Alucidnation

16,810 posts

169 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
BeirutTaxi said:
Alucidnation said:
Excellent comparison.

rolleyes
It is a great comparison.. It's not like the Leon is a big car and it's hard to see why you would choose the UP over it (comparing used vs used).

Personally, I don't see the UP as anything more than an expensive city car that doesn't offer as much value for money as its rivals or even cars two classes above. Some will delude themselves into thinking its the current 'original Mini' and will be worse off for it.

Edited by BeirutTaxi on Sunday 4th November 10:51
No one looking for a small city car is going to look at a class or so higher.

andrewparker

7,905 posts

186 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
Toyoda said:
A certain poster incoming in 3, 2, 1 ...
No interest in answering my PM asking why you’re intent on continually ridiculing me? You’ll be happy to know you’ve ensured that I won’t comment further on any threads like this, so well done big man.

Pica-Pica

13,625 posts

83 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
HRCM said:
Mr Tom said:
Interesting article but I cannot get past ‘this has gotten me thinking’.
Is gotten a word? and wouldn’t ‘got’ been ok in this situation?
Not just me then…
Even the ‘got’ is superfluous. It should be ‘this has me thinking...’ (then state what it has you thinking), or preferably ‘this had me thinking..’
...
I think a 5 speed box is enough on a city car with occasional motorway use. It works well enough on the 89bhp 1.2 TSi Fabia.

rtz62

3,340 posts

154 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
"So, I propose that you could buy yourself a standard, used 1.0-litre TSI Up with its 89bhp engine and then employ the services of a tuning specialist to fiddle with the ECU to up the power"

To up the power.
Does that make the modified car a 'VW 1.0 TSi Increase' then?

Dale487

Original Poster:

1,334 posts

122 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
BeirutTaxi said:
For the money you could have a 66 plate Octavia or Leon on sub 20k miles ... Both are nicer in every aspect you can think of.
Just under £11k gets you a Fabia Monte Carlo 110PS, 2017 & less than 10k miles - that’s a more likely comparison (if you want there are estates on budget too or if 90PS & a 5 speed ‘box is ok you can spend a lot less);

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

I got board of waiting for the Up! GT (same car as the GTI) & as I said before had a MK2 Fabia Monte Carlo - great little car - more practical & refined the a TSI Up, sports details to match a GTI (better seats) & small enough to compare unlike the Octavia & Leon (a Car I now own & rate very highly)

jonm01

817 posts

236 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
Just got a standard 595 at work. In no way does the ride do your back in.