SPEC EXPERT BUILD THE PERFECT VW UP GTI
Bring out the best in the brilliant new pocket rocket without sending the price sky-high
In the market for a little ball of fun? The new VW Up GTI is hard to beat. But which version and which options?
Lisa Hartley, VW UK’s Up product manager, guides us through the choices. Our Up is a three-door model, ‘for that sportier look’, complete with a 114bhp 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine good for an 8.8sec 062mph time. The GTI has 17-inch alloys, red trim, a mini boot spoiler and chrome exhaust as standard.
Starting price: £13,755 For some extra creature comforts, our Up GTI has climate control (£265). ‘I prefer the sleeker look of the interior when climate control is itted,’ says Lisa, ‘not to mention the beneit of climate control in hotter and colder months, and the allergy ilter.’ Plus, the City Emergency Braking pack (£380) adds not only that key safety feature but also automatic coming home/leaving home lights and pre-crash protection. Our Up GTI is inished in Tungsten Silver with a black roof (£645). The deal also includes black door mirror caps and tinted rear windows. ‘The Tungsten Silver paint highlights the red brake calipers and the red GTI strips,’ Lisa says, while the black on the roof and door mirrors ‘complements the black rear roof spoiler and the lower side decal stripes.’ Running total: £14,400
Since it’s a GTI, the hot Up comes with VW’s iconic tartan print on the seats, plus the steering wheel from the bigger Golf GTI and red detailing on the dashboard and gearknob. ‘Top of my list of options would be the 300-watt Beats audio system (£370).’ Crystal-clear sound is provided by seven highend speakers distributed throughout the interior: two tweeters in the A-pillars, two woofers in the front doors and two full-range speakers in the rear. For deep bass, a subwoofer is located below the luggage compartment cover. Running total: £14,770