Volkswagen shows off its exciting new up! junior GTI

Festival debut for sporty up! UK cars available next year

VOLKSWAGEN has officially revealed the up! GTI, which makes its debut at the famous Wörthersee GTI festival in Austria this week. We’ve already driven a prototype (see panel, right), and although VW describes this as a “near-production concept car”, it will be almost identical to the hot up! you can buy in the UK next year.

Under the bonnet a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine serves up 113bhp and 200Nm of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox, and the newest, smallest member of Volkswagen’s GTI family can sprint from 0-62mph in 8.8 seconds and will go on to a claimed top speed of 122mph.

Volkswagen leaves us in no doubt as to how it sees the new up! GTI – it’s a spiritual successor to the original Mk1 Golf GTI; even the 0-62mph times are the same. The newcomer is slightly more powerful, though, and heavier, weighing 997kg.

In the cabin, the hot up! comes with trademark GTI tartan seats. A leather sports steering wheel and GTI gearknob are also included, while production cars will get air-con, an infotainment system and ambient lighting as standard. GTI badging at the front and rear is combined with the classic red radiator grille stripe, while the honeycomb grille is finished in black.

Stripes run down the bottoms of the doors, and new 17-inch alloys are wedged underneath the wheelarches. Elsewhere, the up! GTI gains a larger roof edge spoiler. VW says the wing really is there to provide extra downforce. The whole car sits 15mm lower than the standard up!, and sporty front bumpers plus a sports exhaust round off the look.

A release early next year has been confirmed by VW, but a price tag has not been finalised. Senior execs told us during our prototype drive last year that the up! GTI should be priced at less than 20,000 Euros – that means a starting price of £17,000 in the UK is to be expected.