VW Up not the cheapie we’d hoped for

Published Apr 10, 2015

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ROAD TEST: Volkswagen Move Up 1.0

Johannesburg - When Volkswagen announced that it would sell its Up compact hatch in South Africa, we briefly toyed with the hope that it would be an affordable car for the masses in the mould of the venerable Citigolf.

That wasn’t to be, and the R133 500 starting price (R140 500 for the fancier Move Up model) pitches this three-door, 1-litre Volksie way above the bargain-basement league populated by Chinese cheapies such as the Chery QQ3 and Geely LC which sell for under 100 grand. Instead, the two-model Up range competes in the higher quality mini-hatchback segment against the likes of the Kia Picanto, Hyundai i10, Suzuki Splash and Honda Brio.

In the Volkswagen family the Move Up is just over three grand cheaper than the entry-level Polo Vivo 1.4 hatch Conceptline. With better performance and space and two extra doors, the Vivo is clearly the more sensible buy even though it has fewer features (for instance no electric windows or audio system).

The market clearly agrees: in March 2015 the Up sold just 227 units compared to the Vivo’s 2 837.

The Up’s aimed at a slightly different buyer, who places more value on charisma than utility, and with its cute-as-a-button styling the Up does deliver in this regard. It’s also more fuel-economical, averaging a factory-claimed 4.7 litres per 100km compared to the Vivo’s 6.2 litres.

At 3540 mm in length the Up is considerably smaller than a Polo Vivo and it’s only available as a three-door, which limits its practicality, but use of space inside the car is pretty good with room enough for four adults. It’s a squeeze admittedly, and they’ll sit uncomfortably upright, but two full-sized passengers can actually fit into the Up’s back seat.

The boot is also bigger than the city-car norm, swallowing 251 litres of retail therapy, and in the flagship model the split-folding rear seats flip down to expand the cargo room to 951 litres. A bonus is that there’s a nearly full-sized spare wheel in the floor, not one of those hated ultra-skinny marie biscuits.

SOLID BUILD QUALITY

Spend some time in the car and it becomes apparent that while the price seems high for a one-litre mini hatch, the build quality and refinement are a couple of notches above the bargain-basement league. The Up feels solid in that typically VW way and the cabin, while minimalist in design, is neatly finished with decent-quality materials.

Visibility in VW’s little city car is goldfish bowl-like. The windows are huge and the B pillar set far back so it doesn’t block your side view, making this one of the world’s easiest cars to park.

Standard gizmos are fairly plentiful and even the baseline Take Up model comes with aircon, four airbags, height-adjustable power steering, daytime running lights and ABS.

The more expensive Move Up version on test here adds an audio system, electric windows, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, remote central locking, and front seat-height adjustment.

Colour-coded mirrors and door handles visually set the top model apart, although both versions come with 14” steel rims and plastic hubcaps.

The Up is sold with a three-year or 120 000km warranty but you have to pay extra for a service plan.

OPTIONAL PACKAGES

Digging into the factory options list reveals extra-cost items such as 15” alloys, an electric sunroof, a driver package that includes cruise control, rear parking sensors and a multi-function display, and a winter package that comes with heated front seats, electric mirrors and front fog lights. A plug-in Bluetooth module is available as a dealer accessory.

Unlike new small turbo engines from the likes of Renault, Ford and Opel, the Up has a weaker, normally-aspirated one-litre under its nose, powering the front wheels via a five-speed manual ‘box. This sounds like a recipe for sluggishness at Gauteng altitude, where you might expect the little three-cylinder engine to barely muster enough pace to pull a wet teabag out of a cup. It does a worthy job with those 55kW and 95Nm however, and it helps that it has just 819kg of car to lug around - a real flyweight in motoring terms.

The city is its happy place, where the Up scoots through the traffic like an excited rodent, and there’s enough instant acceleration to deal with unruly taxi drivers who try to steal gaps. The Up is capable on the open road too and will contentedly cruise at the speed limit even with the power-sapping aircon running, but its unhurried in-gear acceleration means that overtaking manoeuvres have to be carefully planned.

The fuel consumption’s a winner and the gauge hardly moved over the week we spent commuting with the Up. Overall it averaged 5.5 litres per 100km but at times we brought it as low as 4.9 (nearly matching VW’s factory claim) when concentrating on feather-footed driving.

It’s a refined little car, without any annoying noise or buzziness from that miniature engine, a quiet unit underlaid by a charming three-cylinder thrum. There’s also no wind or road noise of any significance and it’s a serene experience all-round.

VERDICT

It’s not the Citigolf-type cheapie we may have hoped for, but the Up’s a likeable little city car with solid build quality, a sassy image and great fuel economy. The lack of rear passenger doors hinder its practicality, however.

FACTS

Volkswagen Move Up 1.0

Engine: 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol

Gearbox: Five-speed manual

Power: 55kW @ 6200rpm

Torque: 95Nm @ 3000-4300rpm

0-100km/h (claimed): 13.2 seconds

Top speed (claimed): 171km/h

Consumption (claimed): 4.7 litres per 100km

Price: R140 500

Warranty: Three-year/120 000km

ALTERNATIVES

Renault Sandero 09T Expression, 66kW/135Nm, service plan - R129 900

Suzuki Splash 1.2 GL, 63kW/113Nm, service plan - R135 900

Kia Picanto 1.0 LX, 51kW/94Nm - R136 995

Hyundai i10 1.25 Fluid, 64kW/119Nm - R138 500

Toyota Etios hatch 1.5 Xs, 66kW/132Nm, service plan - R141 400

Ford Figo 1.4 Ambiente, 62kW/127Nm - R141 900

Volkswagen Polo Vivo 1.4 Conceptline hatch, 55kW/132Nm - R143 800

Honda Brio hatch 1.2 Comfort, 65kW/109Nm, service plan - R145 100

Kia Picanto 1.2 EX, 65kW/120Nm - R146 995

Renault Sandero 09T Dynamique, 66kW/135Nm, service plan - R149 900

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