Now also as a four-door: Volkswagen launches second up! version on the market

The two-door up! from Volkswagen was one of the most significant automotive highlights of the past year. All signs point to a big future for the small car introduced at the end of 2011. In Germany, for example, the up! immediately garnered first place in its class in
registration statistics. Now, in 2012 Volkswagen is raising the bar by presenting the four-door version of the city specialist. In May, the latest member of the New Small Family will arrive at dealers; advanced sales already begin on the 6th of March (both dates in Germany). Market roll-out of the four-door car will be complete for all of Europe by early summer.

Volkswagen Market Research expects that over half of all up! buyers will choose the four-door version. It has the same engines (44 kW/60 PS and 55 kW/75 PS), equipment versions (take up!, move up!, high up!, black up!, white up!) and dimensions (3,540 mm long, 1,641 mm wide without mirrors, 1,478 mm high) as the two-door cars. Meanwhile, its side profile shows a very independent styling from the B-pillar back. In Germany, the four-door up! will be offered at prices from 10,325 euros – compared to the two-door this represents an additional price of just 475 euros.

Affordable. For everyone!
This is especially important for all those who do not want their personal budget to be excessively strained by the purchase of a new car: the four-door up! can be ordered with the up!grade package. This financial services package consists of flexible financing, economical car insurance and maintenance and service for a fixed monthly rate.

The first component is AutoCredit financing at an effective interest rate of 3.90 per cent. This financing gives new car buyers the option of dividing the loan agreement period into two halves with different interest rates – this can fit very nicely with an individual’s changing life situation. As an alternative, the up! may also be financed at a uniform interest rate or leased under favourable conditions.

The second component of the up!grade package is FairPay insurance. This is a general liability and full comprehensive insurance for customers at least 23 years of age (and a minimum no-claims category of ‘SF1’) at a fixed monthly rate of 29.90 euros. And for younger customers too – for whom maintenance costs often prevent the purchase of a new car – FairPay provides for comprehensive insurance at a monthly rate of 59.90 euros. The very economical FairPay insurance offers up! drivers considerable cost advantages of up to several hundred euros per year.

The third component of the up!grade package is coverage for maintenance and service inspection costs at an inexpensive monthly rate. For 11.90 euros per month, for example, the up! gets all scheduled service inspections (maximum of 48 months and 10,000 km annually). This also makes the up! one of the most affordable cars on the market for first-time car owners.

Independent styling from the B-pillar back. Lots of doors, and lots behind them!
Naturally, the car’s four doors have changed the look of its side profile. While the lower window line of the two-door rises towards the rear near the C-pillars, it forms a straight line on the four-door car. This gives the new body version a high level of independence. The crisp and short body overhangs are also distinctive on the four-door. The front and rear sections are identical on both body versions. This also means that buyers of the four-door version will get to enjoy a bootlid whose outer skin consists of a continuous glass surface; this gives the bootlid the high-tech and high-end look of a smartphone. Beneath the bootlid there is a boot with a volume of 251 litres; cargo capacity can be extended to up to 951 litres by folding down the rear backrest (60:40 split bench from the move up!).

Comfortable driving with four persons!
The rear doors open wide and offer comfortable entry – including for adults. The four-seat, four-door car offers the same good interior space as the two-door, and the amount of space is remarkable given the vehicle’s size. Headroom in the rear is 947 mm, while it is 993 mm in front. Legroom in the second row is a comfortable 789 mm. The seat height in the rear has a pleasant effect: the height of the so-called H-point – the vertex where the seat surface and backrest meet – is 378 mm in the rear, which is higher than in front (306 mm). This higher seat position gives rear passengers a better view over the shoulders of the driver and front passenger. Just as important: there is plenty of space under the front seats for the feet of the rear passengers.

Ingenious systems for greater safety and convenience
It is only logical that Volkswagen would offer the same optional features in both the four-door and two-door up!. They include clever systems such as City Emergency Braking. The up! is the first car in its class that can be automatically braked by such a function in a tight situation; the function is active over a speed range from 5 to 30 km/h. Also available upon request is maps+more – a portable navigation and infotainment system with touchscreen. It contains a navigation system, hands-free telephone unit, display of various vehicle parameters and media player. In addition, apps can be used to customise maps+more to personal requirements. maps+more is snapped into place on the dashboard, and then it is networked with the electronic systems of the up!. A rare treat in the segment of small cars is the enormous panoramic tilt/slide sunroof that Volkswagen decided to include in the up!.

It’s all a question of colour!
Those who prefer a painted panel (currently available in 5 colours) instead of a transparent roof over their heads can order the roof with decorative decals such as ‘This side up!’ or ‘Autobahn’. Inside, there is plenty of customisation as well: the instrument panel (Dash Pad) and inside door panels (except the door inlays) are offered in 5 different colours. Two colours are offered for the lower dashboard area, and there are eight different seat patterns.

Standard features of the up!
take up! – the economical entry-level model. Outside, the small Volkswagen in this version is equipped with 14-inch wheels, body-coloured bumpers and green tinted heat-insulating glass. As on all up! models, the body is also partially galvanised for long-term protection against rust. Inside, details such as the Easy Entry system, folding rear bench seat, colour contrasting air vent surrounds (in ‘white’), carpeted floors and a fabric-lined bootspace cover are used. Convenience features distinguishing the take up! include a rear windscreen wiper, electromechanical power assisted steering, height-adjustable steering column, convenience direction indicators (1 press = 3 flash cycles) and daytime running lights. The gloss black panel at the middle of the dashboard (which integrates controls for the heating/ventilation and the optional audio system, for example) is especially sophisticated.

When it comes to passive and active safety, standard features include front airbags and head-thorax side airbags plus a seatbelt fastening reminder for driver and front passenger, belt tensioners in front, ABS with ASR, ESP electronic stabilisation programme (in Germany), ISOFIX fixtures and top-tether fittings for mounting suitable child seats in the rear and a deactivation function for the front passenger airbag (when using a child seat there).

move up! – the clever mid-range. At the next higher customisation level, the equipment line is called the move up!. Its safety equipment is identical to that of the take up!. The differences lie in its exterior, interior and convenience features. The door mirror housings and door handles of the move up! are painted in body colour; the full wheel covers and inner headlight housings are upgraded with chrome elements. Inside the car, the air vents and the panelling around the climate and audio controls are designed in glossy black; the dash pad is painted either ‘grained beige’ or ‘black pearl’. The driver’s seat has height adjustment, and the interior door handles are chrome. Standard convenience features include central locking with wireless remote, electric windows in front, 60:40 split rear bench seats, variable cargo floor, a glovebox door, make-up mirror in the sun visor on the passenger’s side and tachometer.

high up! – the sophisticated small car. The high up! is high-end in the truest sense of the expression. Compared to the move up!, its exterior is upgraded with 15-inch alloy wheels ('spoke' type). Front fog lights contribute to the car’s safety. Inside, customers can order the dash pad in ‘black pearl’, ‘pure white’, ‘red’, ‘light blue’ or ‘dark silver’. The speedometer has a chrome surround as do the air vents and the centre console. Also designed in chrome are the parking brake grip and the switches for the lights and climate control. Perfecting the car’s comfort and convenience are features such as electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, RCD 215 radio-CD system with MP3 function, an air conditioner and a leather pack (steering wheel, parking brake grip).

black up! and white up! – the exclusive models. The black up! and white up! are based on the high up!. Compared to the high up!, the black up! adds standard exterior features such as pearl effect paint in ‘black pearl’ and silver 16-inch alloy wheels (‘classic’ type) including black centre covers and size 185 tyres. Also standard here: a chrome look for the door mirror housings, fog light surrounds and side trim strips. The rear windows have an elegant dark tint starting at the B-pillar. The special model sports a ‘black’ signature at the front ends of the doors.

The interior also makes a customised appearance. Here, the black up! is characterised by exclusive seat patterns in a grey-black tartan look and contrasting white seams as well as model-specific modifications to the leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear shift grip. In addition, the dash pad is painted ‘black pearl’. Completing the upgrades are floor mats with contrasting colour borders as well as door sill plates and an ‘up!’ signature on the gear shift grip and steering wheel badge. Meanwhile, the extensive set of convenience features is perfected by the RCD 215 audio system and maps+more pack with 5-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth hands-free telephone unit, navigation system and other functions.

white up! – differences to the black up! As might be expected, the exterior of the white up! is customised like that of the black up!, except for its colour. The wheels of the white up! are white, while the matching paint is called ‘pure white’. Inside, the dash pad and the outer areas of the door trim are painted in white. Also white: contrasting seams and piping and the decorative seams of the trim covers for the gear shift and hand brake grip.

Engines of the up!
Fuel economy and driving performance values are identical for both up! body versions. They are powered by three-cylinder petrol engines with 44 kW/60 PS or 55 kW/75 PS; both engines fulfil the Euro-5 emissions standard and drive the front wheels. The combined fuel consumption as a BlueMotion Technology version (with such features as a Stop/Start system, battery regeneration, low-friction ancillary drives for engine components and tyres optimised for low rolling resistance): 4.1 l/100 km (60 PS) and 4.2 l/100 km (75 PS). Both 1.0-litre engines satisfy the 100 g/km CO2 emissions limit. As an alternative to the standard 5-speed manual gearbox, these two petrol engines may be ordered with a new, automatic 5-speed gearbox as an option. The two engines and their performance data in detail:
1.0 MPI with 44 kW/60 PS: From its 999 cc displacement, this entry-level engine develops a lively 44 kW/60 PS at 5,500 rpm. Its maximum torque of 95 Nm is available between 3,000 and 5,000 rpm. 90 per cent of maximum torque is reached between 2,000 and 6,000 rpm. This results in good agility over nearly all engine rev ranges. This base version engine with the 5-speed manual gearbox attains a combined fuel consumption of 4.5 l/100 km, which is equivalent to 105 g/km CO2. For the version with BlueMotion Technology, the values are 4.1 l/100 km and 96 g/km. In conjunction with the 35-litre fuel tank used in the up!, this yields a theoretical range of 854 km. The up! with 60 PS and a manual gearbox accelerates to 100 km/h in 14.4 seconds and reaches a top speed of 160 km/h (161 km/h as a BlueMotion Technology version).

1.0 MPI with 55 kW/75 PS: The more powerful version of the 1.0-litre engine has the same displacement and same bore (74.5 mm) and stroke (76.4 mm) dimensions. The power gain is achieved by a modification to the engine controller. This results in a maximum power of 55 kW/75 PS at 6,200 rpm. The maximum torque of 95 newton metres is identical. With a manual gearbox, the 75-PS engine has a combined fuel consumption of 4.7 l/100 km (equivalent to 108 g/km CO2). The BlueMotion Technology version attains the mentioned 4.2 l/100 km and 98 g/km CO2. The ‘large’ up! with manual gearbox can accelerate to 171 km/h and completes the sprint to 100 km/h in 13.2 seconds (174 km/h as a BlueMotion Technology version).

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