Volkswagen Up! five-door on the radar for Australia

By Tim Beissmann | January 19th, 2012

The five-door variant of the Volkswagen Up! has been revealed in official images sourced from the European patent office.

The three-door version of the super-light German city car will go on sale in Australia late in 2012, undercutting the Polo and potentially offering a sub-$15,000 starting price.

Volkswagen Australia is yet to confirm the five-door Up! for our market, but says it is “absolutely” under consideration to join the three-door in local showrooms.

Volkswagen Australia is expected to announce revisions to its Polo range in the coming weeks, with the biggest change understood to be the discontinuation of the entry-level three-door Trendline model to open a price gap for the Up!.

Volkswagen confirmed its plans to make a five-door Up! in October following confirmation from sister company Skoda that it would release three- and five-door versions of the Up!’s twin, the Citigo.

Volkswagen has not yet revealed the production version of the five-door Up! but gave us a good indication of what to expect when it unveiled the Cross Up! concept at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show.

The Cross Up! sported an off-road theme with black plastic wheel arches, silver bumper plates and a 15mm-boosted ride height.

As the patent images (first published by Auto Forum) show, the production model is set to lose the rugged theme, although some have suggested it may retain the concept’s taller ride height.

Volkswagen is yet to confirm the five-door Up!’s powertrain details, although it will almost certainly use the three-door’s 44kW and 55kW 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine tunes. The most frugal three-door Up! will use just 4.2 litres/100km on the combined cycle when teamed with start-stop technology.

Lucii Pooky

The Up! is by far the best CityCar in the segment! Its just won Whatcar? Car and CityCar of the year! Many reviewers in Europe has been amazed how good its engines are, the fact it can accommodate 4 people in comfort and its full of tech! Im sure it will sell with city-dwellers!

Darryl

Better than a Corolla even. Be a good car for your granddad to replace his Kia

Anonymous

Future classic, I reckon.

Captain Nemo

So Golfswhine

What makes you think the VeeDud Throw-Up! will be a future classic?

What makes you think this little lump of mediocrity will be any different to all the other unreliable rubbish VeeDud make? Maybe if it had kept the rear engined RWD layout of the original concept i would have said yes.

Anonymous

It combines a rare delicacy of line, stance, proportion and modern design elements with the promise of great utility, interior space, technology, performance and (according to early drive reports) great ride, steering and handling, all at an accessible price.

The right combination of those elements saw classics made of the Fiat 500, Renault 4, Citroen 2CV, Mini, Golf Mk I, Peugeot 205 and Renault 5 in their own lifetimes. I think the same could happen here.

Demiglaze58

Golfswhine

You say ”It combines a rare delicacy of line, stance,proportion & modern design elements with the promise of great utility,Interior space,tech.performance & (according to early drive reports)great ride,steering & handling. All at an accessible price”

Well newsflash Bud so do all the other cars in this class only difference they do it with RELIABILITY! something VeeDud can only dream of.

So are you saying all sub light cars will be future classics??

Anonymous

Golfschwein emits a tired little sigh…it’s terribly, terribly difficult to know how to please some people. You know, I put up a simple post that espoused nothing more than an opinion, played it completely straight in response to a smarmy post that resorted to name calling without doing the same back, and you’re still not happy, Captain Nemo.

Tell us for once, what does make you happy? Show us your passion for a change, rather than your hatred. I just wish there was a way where, y’know, I could give you a little hug, make your heart go pit-a-pat and whisk that hatred and irritability right OUTTATHERE!!! But I don’t think anyone can do it.

Now, to answer your question, Captain Nemo: No, very few cars successfully combine the traits, so very few will be future classics. Actually, tell ya what, why don’t we play a little game? Why don’t you tell US what you think will be future classics?

Gmh-bogan

Totally agree with Captain Nemo”s comments.
Volkswagen do not make anything today that will be a classic in the future.Have to admit that they have made classics in the past,but differnt thinking coming out of the VAG group these days.Maby a modern day Scoda that looks like it comes from a differnt planet today might beinteresting in 25 years.

Andrew

When it’s due for a timing belt replacement and DSG oil change the service will cost >10% of the cars new price.

Anonymous

Have you researched the service schedule? No. Do you know that these cars don’t even have the dual clutch DSG? No again, obviously.

Tarquin, Hair Artist

This has to be the best looking city car. If only Toyota could style a car like this. As for running costs, this may be VWs best effort yet: Timing Chain, no gearbox fluid, long service intervals. I just hope it can run on 91 RON for Oz… Hyundai can engineer their direct injection petrols for 91 RON after all.

This really looks like a winner for VW.
Lbrinsmead

I like the simplicity of the design, would be a good urban taxi.
Barry the tow truck driver

Now that Suzuki and VW are going down different paths.This throw up being based on a Suzuki,should not be sold any more.

Anonymous

HILARIOUS!!! I think you’ve been reading too much into the ramblings of your little friend. This has nothing to do with Suzuki. It’s based on Volkswagen Audi Group’s new MQB platform that will underpin a large number of new cars, right up to Passat size. Engines, transmissions, suspensions…all VW’s own. Sorry to ruin it for you.