Volkswagen Up! GTI in the works – report
Volkswagen is rumoured to be developing a range-topping GTI variant of its small Up! hatch, according to a new report.
British car magazine AutoCar claims officials at the firm’s headquarters in Germany are planning the new GTI model as a rival to the Abarth 595.
It is believed that such a model would help to improve the image and overall appeal of the company’s entry-level hatch to offer with the offer of sporting looks and performance.
The report says the car will be powered by a tuned version of the company’s EA211 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine.
The engine is currently used in the Golf Bluemotion TSI and the new Audi A3 range where it has been tuned to produce 85kW/200Nm.
The regular version of the engine is set to power the soon-to-launch facelifted Up! in some markets.
By comparison, the purported Up! GTI’s key competitor - the Abarth 595 - makes 103kW/206Nm from its 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged unit and can reach the 100km/h mark in a claimed 7.9 seconds.
A prototype of the Up! GTI - which AutoCar claims to have driven - has a top speed of 200km/h and a 0-100km/h time of 8.0 Seconds.
The GTI’s engine would likely be matched to either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Should the reports prove accurate and an Up! GTI enters production, the variant would likely also gain a number of chassis and suspension tweaks as well as the usual GTI-specific visual enhancements like larger alloy wheels, wider skirts and a twin chrome exhaust.
Given the Up! hatch was discontinued in Australia back in 2014, it’s extremely unlikely a ‘hot’ Up! GTI will makes its way to local dealerships.
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