[carthick1000]

What's Up!

(Reading time: 8~10 minutes)

Usually I am excited to write about new technologies or new products in the mobility sector. But here I am excited to share, how a small car got added to our 1 car, 2 bicycle fleet. Small nifty cars have always had a soft corner in my books. This time around, when the need came, I jumped at the chance to get such a dinky little car. What initially started as 'Let us get a Fiat 500' eventually lead to another car due to seating space constraints and positive feedback from friends. Hereby I would like to introduce you all to our new (used) 2012 Volkswagen Up!





Why Up!?

Me and my wife managed to share our Tesla model 3 the last couple of years, but with our daughter growing up and to take her around and to run errands a second car became a necessity. So we decided to buy a small used car, which has relatively low mileage and has a good service history. In European market, esp. here in the Netherlands, small cars are like the bread and butter segment for most manufacturers (atleast until few years ago, when crossovers became the new bread and butter). So there are a lot of (used) options around. But when you are 6'3" tall, there are only a very few in which you can sit comfortably.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ODZcq7pYw0

The following are the ones which I can sit in comfortably :

• VW Up! Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii. Basically they all are the same except with different front and rear looks.
• Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto. They are too siblings but with much more changes than the VW group cars

We had an i10 in the past and hence decided this time around to take the VW route. Me and my wife liked the design of Up! rather than it's Skoda and Seat brethren. Also it got some thumbs Up! from good friends as it holds a bit more resale value compared to it's siblings. Therefore the decision was made.

Which Up!

Then came the dilemma of 3-door or 5-door Up!.



From dimensions point of view, both are exactly the same. The 3-door version has slightly longer doors for ease of ingress and egress for rear passengers. This has an advantage and disadvantage. Advantage is you can have a better view of the blind spot due to larger front windows, but the disadvantage is that long doors cannot open that wide at tight parking spots (eg. next to a car,wall etc.).







Since the original Up! was conceived as 3-door variant and we both liked the 3-door for it's design and better view of the blind spot, zeroed in on 3-door version. After all, Up! in 2012, got some coveted awards like: World car of the year, Red dot design award and IF design Gold award.

Variant wise, we picked the top variant (Entry: Take Up!, Mid: Move Up! Top: High Up! ) available at that time as it came with creature comforts like Airco, cruise control, seat height adjustment, rear parking sensors, navigation and safety features like city emergency braking (yes they were all options 10 years ago!). The Up! also seemed to have scored 5 stars in Euro NCAP rating of 2011. Though the current outgoing Up! (yes it is still in production, unlike Citigo and Mii) did only get 3 stars in the latest Euro NCAP tests. I guess the tests evolved now-a-days.

What's Up!?

The Volkswagen Up (stylized as Volkswagen up!) is a city car, part of the Volkswagen Group New Small Family (NSF) series of models, unveiled at the 2011 International Motor Show Germany (IAA).[8] Production of the Up started in December 2011 at the Volkswagen Plant in Bratislava, Slovakia.[9] A battery electric version, called E-up, was launched in autumn 2013. The SEAT Mii and Škoda Citigo are rebadged versions of the Up, with slightly different front and rear fascias, and were manufactured in the same factory before being withdrawn from sale in 2021 and 2020 respectively.[10]

Though the car was introduced as production model Up! in 2011, it's original design concept was launched way back in 2007 IAA, Germany:





And in 2007 Tokyo motor show as an MPV concept Space Up!



This was followed up by few different iterations in 2009 :

E-Up (Electric)



Up Lite (Hybrid)



(IMHO, Up lite looks like a cross between Polestar 3 and VW ID4. I think VW design engineers were almost predicting the future in 2009.)

Alongside the production Up! launch in 2011, there were few off beat concepts shown in IAA (Designers too should have fun. Right?) :

Buggy Up!



Azzura sailing team Up!



Design, packaging & powertrain:

I think the design is aging well and even after a decade, it looks fresh and modern. The designers did a wonderful job of maximising the interior space by moving the wheels to the extreme corners of the car, reducing overhangs and maximising wheelbase. This is the only car with the longest wheelbase in it's segment but not necessarily the longest. It is almost the same size as a Fiat 500 or a Suzuki Celerio, but with it's boxy design has better utilization of space overall. The engine bay is so compact which helps maximise the cabin space inside.









The model which we bought has a 1L 3-cylinder naturally aspirated unit which produces 60bhp and is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. Though there are newer versions with higher power output with TSI engines, I wished to keep things simple considering the use case of local commutes only. Hence the choice to go basic on powertrain (No turbos, no automatics).



The designers thought that it is such a small car (and of course to save cost ), you don't need to have an extra window open/close buttons on the driver door. Just one has to extend arms and reach the passenger door button.



The instrument cluster is spartan with a speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge and a dual line MID. All the frequently used controls have physical buttons. This is as analog as it gets when compared to our Tesla model 3. When I drive this Up!, it feels a bit like a digital detox





The trunk has a dual height (adjustable) floor and it can comforably fit 1 large and 1~2 small cargo trolley bags (or 4 beer crates!). The rear seats have top tether (handy for our daughter's child seat mounting) at the back and a 60:40 split. There are 4 cup holders! 1 at front and 1 at rear of center console, 1 each on far side of the rear seats. I am more than happy with these storage features, It is all that a small family can think of.



Handling and vehicle dynamics

The suspension system is very basic small car like. McPherson struts at the front and torsion beam at the rear. Though a compact little car, due to longer wheelbase and wider track (longer and wider are relative terms for this segment), drives pretty stable at highway speeds. The car weighs only about 840kg, but still feels planted enough for the Dutch highways (Have to see how it fares on stormy days ). I think this has to do with the wider track relative to wheelbase. The suspension is adequately soft, but does not roll too much in corners. The steering is lazily direct and seating position is higher which makes it easy to get in and out. It is definitely not a corner craver but has typical VW traits of a small mature hatch. What I am impressed is it's stability at highway speeds. It feels one class above. Also it has superb visibility all around and manoeuvrability in small spaces is a breeze. I find it joyful to drive in a back-to-basics small car. Gives me nostalgia of M800 which I learnt driving in.

Comparison with premium brands

• I am positively surprised by the under thigh support. The seating part is longer than in my Tesla model 3!
• Has a similar torsion beam suspension like Mercedes A class and CLAs
• Has a similar drum brake setup for rear wheels like an Audi Q4 Etron
• Spacious boot space than a porsche 911. But unfortunately no frunk like 911 or Model 3.

So far & Going forward

This example we bought has done about 48900km in the last 10 years and it is always maintained at a VW dealer with all maintenance history known. We bought it from a used car seller and opted out of their service packets, as I planned to maintain the car at VW itself. So I guess I will get it serviced in the coming weeks and then wont have to do much. Also our planned usage is somewhere between 5000-10000km a year, which means it gets its service once a year. Combined, me and my wife have driven about 60kms in this car after we bought it a week ago. So I cannot really comment on long term experiences. However, I am starting this thread as a long term ownership report. Hope you enjoyed reading so far!

Cheers,
Karthik

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[govindremesh]

Congratulations on getting the Up! It's a nice little city car and was the car on my first drive in NL (Greenwheels). I've had countless trips on the Up! and it holds a special place in my heart for the drivability and comfort it offers.

The dashboard usually is black, is your car having a customization or something?

Originally Posted by carthick1000

Handling and vehicle dynamics
The car weighs only about 840kg, but still feels planted enough for the Dutch highways (Have to see how it fares on stormy days ). I think this has to do with the wider track relative to wheelbase.

The Up! will be pushed in the direction of the wind I had a run to Amsterdam on a stormy day and had to make frequent steering corrections. Sudden gusts make their presence known by nudging the car off the lane, also if you're overtaking a heavy vehicle during strong crosswinds. if you're traveling at tripe digit speeds, but the experience is not too scary (The car is far from being unstable). Smaller storms don't have much impact though

You should also try out the e-Up if you haven't driven one yet, it's worth a try!

[dolphinjazz]

Congratulations.
I remember seeing this car in some car magazines way back may be in my college days and I felt in love with this car. The car is small and looks very very cute. Due to size it may be a perfect city car. If one doesn't look at the dimensions its easy to make mistake and compare its size to Nano or alike cars, even I was thinking so till I saw the actual dimension above.

[vellatechie]

Its a beautiful little that that has aged really well for a decade old design. Congratulations on your purchase.

[Vasanth]

Wow! I’ve always wanted a team bhp review on VW Up. This is one of the cutest little cars you can buy and not feel degraded. The glass hatch, body coloured dashboard panels gives this car a liveliness. I wish we got this car in India.
Congratulations on your Up. Drive safe.

[ajmat]

Its a great little car, I have used my nephew's UP in the UK in wintery conditions and never felt shortchanged in terms of the quality of drive and stability.

I preferred this to the Polo

[V.Narayan]

Dear @carthick1000, Congratulations on finding the girl just the right height for you! :-) What a cute and beautiful car, like a little adorable puppy dog. I love that retro-ish interior sans the useful electronics and screens. thank you for writing your review in a readable story like fashion with so many appropriate illustrations. As they say a picture is worth a thousand words. I much prefer this style to the long detailed reviews some prefer. Happy motoring.

[FrAgile]

I seriously think that VW should consider Up for the Indian market. It could have been a perfect Brio competitor with potentially a better engine. The build quality would have been better too (maybe). It is a perfect city hatch for 2 people and could have made a space at homes for those looking for a secondary car strictly for city purposes and would travel with 2 people at max for most of the time. This could've/could been/be a hit in Tier 1 cities if they manage to find a correct balance of build, performance and features along with look and feel of the interiors especially for the front 2 pax.

[GeeTee TSI]

The Up! (or 'Up exclamation mark' as Jeremy Clarkson always addressed it) is how Europe does small cars - beautifully designed and built to a small footprint, rather than build it cheap with cheap materials from ground zero. But the Indian market is different and well built quality products in small packages do not sell!

The Up! had loads of charm and a cheeky sense of humour despite being German!

[carthick1000]

Thanks all for the wishes!

Originally Posted by govindremesh

The dashboard usually is black, is your car having a customization or something?

The Up! will be pushed in the direction of the wind

There used to be options of having lighter colour interior. Since it is an entry level car, most people are cost conscious and spec'd with black interiors. That is also the reason, you wll find a lot of entry (Take Up!) and mid (Move Up!) level trims than the top (High Up!) level trim. We were lucky to find this example, where the previous owner had a good taste and (more likely) slightly deeper pockets to splurge on a city runabout. But they religiously maintained the car, as seen from all the maintenance records I got with the car and of course from such a clean light interior. I hope to maintain it well too. For a small car, I find the black interiors boring and lighter interiors provide a sense of space.

It is probably going to be driven 5-10% of it's time on highways.So I think it is not a big concern.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Thank you for writing your review in a readable story like fashion with so many appropriate illustrations. As they say a picture is worth a thousand words. I much prefer this style to the long detailed reviews some prefer. Happy motoring.

Thanks for you kind words on writing style! I am glad you liked this format and also glad someone appreciated not only the content but also the format. I am one of those persons who like to share the story as I experienced it. Then it gives the readers an understanding of what went through in my mind/our minds while choosing a car. May be it helps readers to get some additional perspectives when they are in the market for a car. Long format reviews are good as a way to look back or refer to finer details, but I find telling it this way easier for me to write an article and I think easier for the reader as well.

[nyt2090]

Congratulations,
The car looks great , i like the retro style interiors , great design and a great short review

[Drivaholic@2727]

Love the review of the Up!. The car is so compact, maneuverable and a pleasure to be in I always wanted the Up! to be launched in India as it is small and just the right size. If volkswagen had launched it India it would have sold in record breaking numbers, but sadly it was not meant to be. Anyway's wish you a lot of happy miles to come with your beautiful Up!.

[digitalnirvana]

Beautiful quirky little car, love her looks and nifty features! The dash looks smashing! Wish you many thousands of happy miles with her!

[carthick1000]

Service at 49095km on 14-03-2023

As mentioned in my original post, I sent the car to VW for a regular maintenance as it was 1 year before it had it's previous service. In NL, they call it big and small service every alternate service ie it goes like Big-small-big etc. Since the car was always serviced at VW, they had the service history and the last service it had was a small service. So this time it had to be the big service.

I got a quote of about 721EUR for the following things :

1. Big service with all inspections - 471EUR
- Oil, oil filter, drain plug bolt and seal change
- Spark plug change
- Bleeding Clutch system
- Brake fluid change
- OBD inspections
- Check tire depth




2. There was some noise from front suspension bushes. It seems to be dry due to cold weaher which they lubricated - 50EUR

3. Air filter, interior filter and wiper blade change - ~200EUR

Item #3 is child's play which I decided to do myself which cost me 56EUR (interior filter, air filter and wiper blades front and rear) instead of the quoted price. It took about 20minutes in total.

- Mann interior filter with active carbon and pollen filter - Part# CUK26 006 - 14EUR
- Mann air filter - Part# C29015 - 14EUR
- Wiper front Bosch aerotwin 600mm / 400mm - Part# 3 397 007 555 - 21EUR
- Wiper rear Bosch aerotwin 250mm - ‎Part# 3 397 008 058 - 7EUR

They had an online appointment system where I booked the service appointment. The service experience was very seamless. I dropped the car at the service center in the morning around 09.00 . You can also choose to let them pickup the car, but I just wanted to go have a chat with the service guys and see the past history of the car in their system. One can also choose to be dropped at house (after dropping the car for service) or other location within 20kms. I got dropped in a VW ID3 and when the service is over, I opted the car to be dropped at my home, which they did promptly around evening. They sent a bill afterwards which I can pay online. During the whole time from making an appointment to paying the bill, they had a portal where you know what service options you chose, status of the car during service and all info about pickup dropoff times etc. including the costs.

Total cost of service 521EUR @ VW and 56EUR @ Amazon.nl = 577EUR

For the next 15000kms, I can claim warranty on the service they performed and I get EU wide Breakdown assistance for free for the next 1 year. If I purely look at the price of service vs what I paid for the 10yr old car, it is about 8% of the car price. But I don't need to keep track of service things myself and get help if the car broke down somewhere.