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" On-Sale Date: December 2011 Price: $14,250 Competitors: Renault Twingo, Fiat Panda, Dacia Sandero, Kia Picanto, Hyundai i10 Powertrain: 1.0-liter, DOHC, three-cylinder, 59 hp, 70 lb-ft; five-speed manual or robotised manual; FWD  EPA Fuel Economy (city/highway): European NEDC Combined 56 mpg What&amp;#039;s New: Volkswagen has finally produced its Up! hatchback, which first appeared as a concept car at the 2007 Frankfurt Show. Four years ago, this was an innovative rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive family hatchback that maximized cabin space and fuel economy. But VW nixed that design when it became clear that sharing components with other models was the only way to build the Up! at anywhere near its target base price of $14,250. So the automaker went back to the drawing board, and the new Up! they created is a front-engine, front-wheel-drive hatchback that goes on sale this autumn in three- and five-door forms.  The result of this revise is a car that is a lot less innovative but still pretty clever in its execution. The basic monocoque bodyshell has an industry-standard MacPherson-strut front and torsion-beam rear suspension. The 1-liter, three-cylinder gasoline engine mounted across the car is coupled to a manual or robotized-manual five-speed transmission. But it&amp;#039;s that German attention to detail and maximization of cabin space that makes the 11-foot, 7-inch-long Up! a potential winner. The short front overhangs, which other tiny sub-B models can&amp;#039;t match, and the refined three-pot mill, which dispenses with a friction-inducing Lanchester balance shaft and relies on careful matching of parts, keeps it smooth. Even the five-speed gearbox is a new design, weighing just 55 lbs with a liter of oil inside. Tech Tidbit: &amp;quot;Web connected&amp;quot; is the new car industry mantra, and VW has a new twist on the theme with a Navigon (a Garmin-owned company) personal digital assistant that sits on its own mount on the center of the dashboard and connects to the car&amp;#039;s software and the Internet. The Navigon screen can show you engine temperatures, Google maps, Facebook or fuel consumption, and when you climb out of the car, you can take it with you as a personal satellite navigation tool. It keeps costs down, makes the Up! futureproof and is a standout selling point.  Driving Character: What first strikes you about the Up! is just how big it is inside. The cabin is almost as big as that of the larger VW Polo. Front or back, there&amp;#039;s head, leg and shoulder room to spare, and there&amp;#039;s plenty of room for luggage in the narrow but extraordinarily deep 8.86-cubic-foot trunk. The cabin is distinctive, with a three-dial control cluster in front of the driver and a central dashboard with heating, ventilation and ancillary controls. It&amp;#039;s simple and clear-cut. The trim panels are hard plastic, but they&amp;#039;re pleasing to look at and fit well. The seats are comfortable and supportive and have contrasting trim panels on the squab and back rest.  Start her up and the engine emits a characteristic three-cylinder thrum, but it&amp;#039;s a game little unit that loves to rev and gives respectable performance. Out on the open road, the engine is refined and quiet. The performance is modest, with a top speed of 100 mph for the 59-hp version with 0 to 62 mph acceleration in 14.4 seconds. Fuel consumption for the 59-hp version with a stop/start system is 56 mpg in the NEDC Combined cycle. The gearbox is fast and positive, and with a high-geared top ratio, it allows European cruising at sensible engine speeds\u2014though long, steep hills or a load will require a gear down, and you&amp;#039;d feel a bit exposed on an interstate. The Up! is competent rather than scintillating. The electronically assisted rack-and-pinion steering is precise, and there&amp;#039;s a pleasing agility to the chassis that comes from its light weight: With a driver and full tank, the Up! weighs a mere 2048 pounds. Body roll is well controlled, but on the optional 16-inch wheels and tires, the ride is harsh around town. The 15-inch standard rims are a better bet. Through the turns, the nose tends to run wide\u2014but that&amp;#039;s assuming you&amp;#039;re going fast enough to understeer anywhere. The Up!&amp;#039;s exterior isn&amp;#039;t the most eye-catching on the lot, but there&amp;#039;s a lot going on there that you come to appreciate with time, such as the extra creases on the wheel arches, which give a depth and perspective to the coachwork and the intersection of the body-color facia and lower plastic panel. There&amp;#039;s been thought and love lavished on this car.  Driver&amp;#039;s Grievance: Apart from the corny explanation mark after the name, our main gripe is that the single petrol model&amp;#039;s driving range is a bit of a cop out. We know that VW has an advanced two-cylinder turbo diesel engine because we drove it earlier this year in the amazing XL1. According to VW, this marriage doesn&amp;#039;t make business sense yet, but we&amp;#039;d love to drive a diesel Up!. Bottom Line: Tiny cars like the Up! are aimed at a growing market for first cars in developing countries and as second or third cars in Europe. The Up! seats four in comfort, offers the kind of safety and build quality you get in bigger Volkswagens and provides excellent fuel economy and exhaust emissions\u2014albeit with a modest performance. It won&amp;#039;t be coming to the U.S. anytime soon, but with oil prices still at record levels and the world&amp;#039;s legislators concentrating on reducing carbon-dioxide greenhouse gas emissions, you can imagine a time when American buyers might look for this blend of sedan-like interior space with subcompact exterior dimensions. A battery\u2013electric version arrives in Europe in 2013, and VW is not dismissing a diesel model and a higher powered model for the future. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/a7150/2012-volkswagen-up-test-drive/>