Volkswagen's India bound Small Car Unveiled

Published: Tuesday, August 23, 2011, 17:24 [IST]

Volkswagen has finally unveiled its latest UP small car. The new car is set to enter the Indian car market according to reports. The German carmaker unveiled the UP just days before the Frankfurt Auto Show. The UP will be Volkswagen's cheapest car once it is launched in India. We will have to wait for a while to buy it as it will be first sold in Europe and the Americas.

The VW UP will replace the Polo as Volkswagen's entry level car. The UP has been developed to cater to the needs of people living in urban areas. The idea behind the UP is to build a car that offers optimum space with minimal footprint. The UP is 3.54 meters (11.6 feet) long and 1.64 meters wide. While the European version is a three door car, Volkswagen India will add two more doors in the Indian version.

Volkswagen has claimed that the UP will have plenty of space for four people. The boot has spacious for a small car with a capacity of 251 litres. The boot space can be increased to 951 litres by folding down the rear seats. The Up is a front-engines car with a front-wheel drive. This design has been used to ensure there is sufficient interior space.

The VW UP is powered by a one-litre three cylinder petrol engine capable of generating 59bhp. Volkswagen has said a high end version will generate 74bhp.The UP will be equipped with a five-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic gearbox. Volkswagen has claimed a fuel economy of 23kmpl for the UP.

The VW UP will be no budget car. Its interior will be finished in high quality materials and the dash will get an iPod style Personal Infotainment Device which will have Sat Nav, Bluetooth music streaming and phone functions. It is highly unlikely that these features will be incorporated in the Indian version of the UP.

The VW will be competing against the Maruti Suzuki Alto, Wagon R, Hyudai i10 and the Chevrolet Beat. The UP's European competitors will be the Fiat 500 and Toyota Aygo. Volkswagen has not disclosed the price of the UP.

Skoda and Seat, Volkswagen's sister brands are also expected to develop their own versions of the UP on the same platform.