► Turbocharged engine tops the range
► New bumpers, indicators, colours
► Debut at Geneva, on sale summer 2016
The popular Volkswagen Up is getting a light overhaul for 2016, benefitting from new bumpers, tweaked tail-lights, a new engine and a new swatch card’s worth of colours.
Volkswagen’s updated city car will make its public debut at 2016 Geneva motor show in March and go on sale a few months later, towards the end of summer.
The Up’s Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo platform-sharing siblings aren’t in line for updates of their own until a little later down the line.
You mentioned a new engine?
Correct. The Up’s now available with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that produces 89bhp. More usefully, it churns out 118lb ft from 1500rpm; VW points out its performance figures are on par with the original Golf GTI, only with much-improved fuel economy at 64.2mpg combined.
The turbocharged Up’s top speed is 114mph, and 0-62mph takes 10 seconds. You’ll be able to spot the turbocharged Up from a distance by its visible exhaust (usually hidden behind the rear bumper).
Previously the Up was available with two naturally aspirated three-cylinder petrol engines, offering 59bhp and 74bhp respectively. Both engines continue alongside the new 89bhp turbo, as does the electric e-Up derivative.
Anything else?
The indicator side repeaters have jumped to the door mirrors, there’s extra switchgear on the steering wheel, and climate control’s available in the Up for the first time.
There are also now 13 body colours to choose from, plus three roof colours (taking a brightly coloured leaf or two out of DS and Mini’s books) and ten dashboard panel colours.
Smartphone connectivity’s improved, with a downloadable Volkswagen app able to connect the phone’s GPS system to the multimedia system (now displayed on either a 3.1in monochrome display or a 5.0in colour screen) to perform sat-nav duties. The screen doubles as a reversing camera display in certain models.
Any special edition models to mark the occasion?
How did you guess? There’s a bass-heavy VW Up Beats edition, with a 300W BeatsAudio stereo and seven speakers, including tweeters in the A-pillars, woofers in the doors and a sub in the spare wheel well. The Beats also gets 15in alloys, along with go-faster stripes and go-even-faster colour-coded seatbelts.
Read more of CAR’s 2016 Geneva motor show coverage here
Click here for CAR’s A-Z guide to the 2016 Geneva motor show