To the point: VW up! - Driving Presentation

WOLFSBURG, GERMANY – October 12, 2011: Volkswagen is launching a new small car: the up!. A city specialist for many of the world’s countries. A car with charisma and great potential. In Germany – the debut market – advance orders are already being taken for the new up! with prices starting at 9,850 euros. The new Volkswagen will officially launch in successive steps beginning in late December.

3 impressive equipment versions and 2 exclusive models

Three equipment versions are offered for different budgets and needs: take up! is the entry-level version, move up! the convenience-oriented model, and high up! is the top version. At market launch there will also be two upgraded models based on the high up!: the up! black and up! white.

2 petrol engines with 4.2 and 4.3 litre fuel economy

On a minimal footprint (3.54 metres long), the up! offers maximum space for 4 people and highly efficient powertrain technologies. Making its debut in the up! is a new generation of three-cylinder engines. The petrol engines have power outputs of 44 kW / 60 PS and 55 kW / 75 PS, fulfil the Euro 5 emissions standard and drive the front wheels. Combined fuel consumption values for the BlueMotion Technology version (with such features as a Stop/Start system, battery regeneration and tyres optimised for low rolling resistance): 4.2 l/100 km (60 PS) and 4.3 l/100 km (75 PS). Both 1.0-litre engines satisfy the 100 g/km CO2 emissions limit.

Natural gas engine sets record values for sustainability

A natural gas engine with 50 kW / 68 PS will follow with the same basic technology as the petrol engines. This up! EcoFuel BlueMotion Technology will attain a groundbreaking low CO2 value of 79 g/km. At the IAA in Frankfurt, Volkswagen presented a nearly production-ready concept of this extremely clean natural gas version – the eco-up!. There are also firm plans for an up! with an electric drive in 2013, and a study of the up! Blue-e-Motion was shown at the IAA in September as well. Just as new as the engines are the car’s two new 5-speed gearboxes (one manual and one automatic version); they are among the lightest of their types in the world.

World’s first small car with City Emergency Braking

The entirely new up! is also the first car in its class in the world to have a City Emergency Braking function, which automatically brakes the car over a speed range from 5 to 30 km/h, when traffic gets tight.

Debut of the multi-talented maps+more system

Another entirely new feature appearing for the first time in a Volkswagen is the maps+more system – a portable touchscreen module. It contains a navigation system, hands-free telephone unit, display of factual information related to the vehicle and a media player. In addition, it will now be possible to use apps to tailor maps+more to a driver’s highly individualised personal requirements profile. maps+more is snapped into place above the centre console where it interfaces with the electronics network of the up!. In the economically priced up!, a system was developed for organising the areas of navigation, telephone, information and entertainment that is just as economical. The portable device was also designed so that it could be brought up to the latest software levels via a simple update. In cooperation with Navigon, one of the world’s leading suppliers of portable navigation systems, the special solution maps+more was created; it is tailored to the up! and is affordable for all buyers.

New model for financing, insurance & maintenance

In launching the up!, Volkswagen is not only putting a new car in motion; it is also redefining the parameters of financing, insurance and maintenance. Individual modules in Germany are now being merged into the new up!grade package: AutoCredit2 is the name of the special financing for the up!, in which customers can split the contract period into two halves with different instalment rates. As a result, AutoCredit2 enables new flexibility in car buying. In addition, FairPay insurance offers enormous cost savings – in some cases as much as 1,700 euros per year based on a financing or lease contract. FairPay insurance is a complete vehicle liability and full comprehensive insurance programme for customers 23 years and older (at a minimum no claims class "SF1") for a fixed price of 19.90 euros per month. Those who sign a contract by 1 December 2011 will even get FairPay insurance for 9.90 euros per month. And for younger customers too, the comprehensive FairPay insurance is available for a monthly price of 49.90 euros – or just 39.90 euros if signing by 01 December 2011. The third part of up!grade even covers maintenance and routine servicing costs for the up! at a low fixed monthly rate (from 11.90 euros per month in Germany for a 48 month contract period and 10,000 km/year). Never before has a programme of this type been offered in the vehicle class of the up!. Quite possibly, such a programme could only come from Volkswagen!