Volkswagen Up! GT set to roll
Various reports are circulating around the industry that the green light has been given to put the Volkswagen Up! GT into production this year.
Both the iconic Golf GTI and the more recent Polo GTI have been an outstanding success for Volkswagen, so we assume the decision to move ahead with a performance version of the Up! was a fairly straightforward one.
Said to be armed with a turbocharged version of the standard Up!’s three-cylinder, 1.0-litre petrol engine, power will nearly double to 82kW to the front wheels via a six-speed gearbox.
Expect the Up! GT to get a performance-style body kit, large sports alloys and twin exhaust tips.
Competition for the Up! GT, at least in Europe, will include the Renaultsport Twingo and the Fiat-based Abarth 500, both with substantially more power, but also carrying up to 100kg more weight.
If the Up! GT can display the same kind of performance characteristics its larger GTI siblings are renowned for, then we’re in for one of life’s little treats.
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