► VW’s city car trio near end of road
► Electric versions of Up, Mii and Citigo
► Three battery capacities available each
Volkswagen has stopped working on the successor to the New Small Family range, the internal codename for its Up, Mii and Citigo city cars – but is planning one last hurrah with an updated range of electric derivatives.
We’ve already seen the limited-series e-Up electric vehicle (EV), which launched in 2013 (read our original review here). But this time round, the VW Group is planning battery-powered versions of all three family members, and they’re due to launch in 2020 under the VW130 codename.
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The tech specs and details of the 2020 electric VW Up, Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo
Buyers will be able to pick from three versions, depending on their need for range and performance, and the size of their wallet:
- 24kWh battery 70kW e-motor, 190-mile range
- 36kWh battery 90kW e-motor, 250-mile range
- 49kWh battery 110kW e-motor, 310-mile range
The pricing ladder, according to our sources at Wolfsburg, will stretch from around €20,000 to €27,500 (£17,300-£23,800).
Project VW130 is the last Volkswagen based on the ancient PQ matrix conceived way back when under Ferdinand Piech. It truly is the changing of the guard, as the new MEB architecture takes over.
Our full guide to VW’s MEB platform and the new range of electric Volkswagens
Why isn’t Volkswagen developing a successor to the Up/Mii/Citigo?
The project has been put on ice because of the macro-economic shifts wreaking havoc in the car industry. Increasingly strict emission norms make it unprofitable for many car makers to compete in the entry-level category and they’re all considering new ways of producing attractive, profitable small cars.
VW’s not alone: Renault and Smart are said to terminate their cooperation when Twingo and Fortwo need to be reinvented towards the tail end of the next decade and Vauxhall/Opel is not going to replace the funky but barely profitable Adam, either.
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