Although the city car segment in Ireland is very small, Volkswagen's new up! is likely to shake it up when it gets here in March 2012, writes Brian Byrne.
The up! is a perky full 4-seater which will come highly specified when it rolls out here at a guide price of around €11,000.
It comes into a crowded space where Hyundai's i10 leads a pack that includes Nissan's Pixo, Fiat's 500 and Panda, Kia's Picanto, Toyota's Aygo, Ford's Ka and Suzuki's Alto.
Volkswagen has had a contender here before, in the form of the Fox from South America, but it never really hit a sweet spot for the company that is currently a close number two in car sales in Ireland.
I recently drove it in the kind of environment where it is designed for—the anarchy that the motorists of Rome call driving.
Don't get me wrong. I always enjoy driving in Rome. There's something about the free-for-all in the Eternal City that invigorates. And in a place never designed for the motor car, it is truly amazing to see how Rome embraces it. And where they manage to park the things when not actually in use.
The up! (the people who dreamed up the name are well paid, and I wonder why, but we just won't go there this time) is a thoroughly modern design, with none of the tilts at retro which prime target Fiat 500 has done so successfully.
The Volkswagen is first a tidy package in its 3.5 metre length, with smart sharp lines and a somewhat upright style. Like every VW, the up! is designed not to date quickly.
But it has a personality too, and the stylists have put some significant effort into making it a car that will make you smile—whether you're inside it or out.
It has an upmarket feel too, which is probably why the international launch HQ was in a very upmarket shopping centre in the middle of Rome, the White Gallery which is described as Rome’s first major 'lifestyle store'. Top mens and womens fashion, accessories, best of food. So, of course, perfect for the up!, which may be pitched as the best motoring accessory?
Of course, that meant also that when driving off for the first time we were pitched right into Rome's traffic maelstrom. As I said, great fun. I suspect, though, that from some of the intrigued glances those Rome driving natives gave us, some of them might be very interested in buying.
In the frenzy, it proved itself very capable, nippy and zippy, and the fact that visibility from the interior is very good all around was a great help.
There are a couple of intriguing things about the car in technological terms. For instance, it will come with the option—which I tried, against a dummy car, of course—of a similar automatic emergency braking system as we have seen in larger Volvos and Fords. It works.
A new 3-cylinder 1.0 engine is available in a brace of power outputs, but Ireland will be getting the higher power 75hp version, and will also have the BlueMotion technologies package which keeps emissions below the 100g/km.
ESP is standard. And the little car also has the biggest boot space in the class at 210 litres. Yet there's no scrimping of space for four people either.
All the Volkswagen up! cars for the market introduction in Ireland in March will come equipped with the 'maps and more' module that provides navigation, trip information, phone and other facilities.
The top of dash unit is a touchscreen system that must be installed at the factory, and will normally cost €400 extra. It is updateable by means of a simple software manipulation, and the maps can be tailored to a user's personal profile and need.
Looking forward to giving it a go in Dublin and beyond.
