Volkswagen Up (2012-2023) Review

With just a 1.0-litre engine ever offered in the mainstay Volkswagen Up, it's clearly focused on city driving. It's refined and comfortable enough to manage occasional motorway journeys, but the lack of performance will grate in regular high-speed use. If you do head further afield, seek out the 90PS version for more flexibility.

It’s also a strict four-seater, so if you need to fit five people inside on occasion then it might be best to move one class up to the supermini sector. What the Up does well is bring a bit of style and class to the sector where jazzy colours and infantile model names are more commonplace.

Anyone looking for a first car, whether it’s for themselves or a loved one, would do well to choose the Up, given it is easy to drive and comes with a good standard specification. It’s also not so quick it will get an inexperienced driver into trouble. The Up would also make an excellent second-car runabout for solo or two-up trips.

With just a single engine option (other than the considerably more expensive Volkswagen Up GTI) on new cars there’s not much to think about on that front. 

On used examples, the 75PS is a little more useful out of town compared to the standard 60- or 65PS engines, while the 90PS turbocharged unit is the best of the bunch, although it was only available on more expensive versions. The automated manual gearbox is also best avoided - unlike a conventional automatic, gear changes are jerky and laboured.

As for trim levels, the basic VW Up comes with more than you might expect, with things like air conditioning and alloy wheels were standard later in its life and on higher trim versions, yet there’s no shame in going for the cheapest option. Further up the range the Up Beats adds a more powerful audio system, but we’d skip the R-Line as the bigger alloys hurt the ride quality. 

Given its long shelf life, there are a myriad of trim levels and special editions that were launched over the years, but we’d suggest looking at the Move Up as a minimum, with the High Up bringing extra luxury and Up Beats with the better audio system.

If you like the idea of an Up but for some reason dislike Volkswagens, then the SEAT Mii and the Skoda Citigo are the closest you’re going to get.

Another trio, this time the Peugeot/Citroen/Toyota triplets in the form of the Peugeot 108, Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo offer a similar low-cost but big value take on the city car, although they are not quite as sophisticated to drive or a cabin that’s as nice to be in. 

A top choice in the city car sector is the Hyundai i10, which isn’t quite as nice to drive but is more spacious inside and is well-built. The same goes for the Kia Picanto, which is also available with a more potent turbocharged engine. There's also the Fiat Panda, which is as practical as the Up but feels a bit dated, while the Fiat 500 isn't as roomy but offers plenty of city chic. 

Finally, there's also now extinct city cars such as the Ford Ka+ and Vauxhall Viva, which are competent but unexciting. The Renault Twingo and related Smart ForFour, too, are no longer offered new in the UK - both are characterful and funky, but not as good to drive as the VW. 

Volkswagen has a well-deserved reputation for delivering tasteful interiors, and the Up is no exception. The basic Up model isn’t packed with flair - you get varying shades of grey and black throughout - although you can fix this by seeking out a higher specification model.

Moving up to the Beats also gets you smarter seat trim and a much brighter finish to the cabin, plus big car niceties such as an ambient lighting strip on the dash.

It’s not all roses of course - there are some cheaper plastics dotted around the cabin but they feel built to last, which will matter more in the long run. The switches and buttons come direct from the Volkswagen stable too, so they feel like they’ve been pinched from a more expensive car, all of which boosts the feeling of quality.

On older cars much the same applies, so basic Ups still offer good quality but do resemble a coal face. Look at the Move Up, High Up, and Up Beats if you want a smarter interior look.

Early in the Volkswagen Up's life the infotainment system was a bog standard radio CD unit on low-end models, while higher up the range you got a supplementary system called Maps + More. 

This consisted of a separate (if aftermarket-looking) screen that fixed to a dedicated mount on top of the dashboard, providing Bluetooth for streaming and phone calls, satellite navigation and a trip computer. It was a relatively inexpensive way of adding these functions to the car, although the fact that it is removable puts it at risk of theft.

Later models ditched this idea however. Used low-spec Ups get a CD player with a USB port and twin speakers, while higher grades get a dedicated phone cradle, DAB radio, auxiliary input and Bluetooth so you can connect your smartphone. There's even a small colour screen on certain trim levels, although it's not big enough for navigation or features such as Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity. 

Maps + More is now a dedicated app with TomTom navigation, an eco trainer and audio streaming. Of the two, the later system is preferable, as apart from anything it will benefit from regular updates and the ease of use. If you go for an earlier model make sure the seller includes the screen if it was originally fitted.

City cars still have to carry people and things, which is why the Volkswagen Up is shaped like a carefully-planed box. 

Its external dimensions are pretty tiny in modern car terms: it's just 3,600mm long, 1,641mm wide and 1,504mm tall. Yet it manages to provide space and comfort for four adults (just about) and luggage, and travelling two-up there’s not much you can’t fit in it.

Even silly-tall drivers can get comfortable behind the wheel, with plenty of head and legroom to stretch out. Shoulder room is good too, even though it’s a relatively narrow car. There’s also plenty of light entering the cabin through the generous glazed area, and the slim dashboard helps the feeling of space too.

Inevitably there’s less space on offer in the rear, but as long as the front seat passengers haven’t rolled their seats all the way back you can fit two adults in there, for short journeys at least. 

The rear seats are mounted a slightly higher than those in the front, reducing the amount of headroom a little, so you may have to put the tallest people up front. Five-door models have easier access to the rear seats, but getting into the back of the three-door is not impossible. It’s worth remembering that the rear seat is designed for two people only, with no centre seat belt.

The Up offers a useful 251-litres of boot space, putting it close to the Hyundai i10 but ahead of cars like the Renault Twingo and Peugeot 108. Fold the rear seats and this goes up to a mighty 959-litres, and there’s an adjustable boot floor too so you can hide more valuable items. Newer models of every version gained a 60:40 split rear seat, but on earlier used models the basic Up only had a single-piece rear backrest so you can’t fold it and carry a passenger in the back.

Spare wheel provision depends on what trim you go for. Most VW Ups get a full-size spare, but the Beats used a tyre repair kit.

Latterly, the Volkswagen Up came with a single engine option of the mighty 1.0-litre three cylinder unit dishing out 65PS and 95Nm of torque. It’s a very willing unit, and the three cylinder arrangement means it is happy to rev all day long, and it doesn’t sound too terrible while it’s doing it either. You’ll need to rev it if you’re out of the city or on the motorway though, as it starts to struggle at higher speeds.

Go back a bit further into the Up's history and you find the 75PS version of the same unit. It may only have an additional 10PS and the same torque output, but the extra certainly goes a long way, making the Up more comfortable at higher speeds. The fuel consumption penalty is so minimal you’ll probably never notice the difference either.

If you’re feeling really flush (relatively speaking) then you’ll want to go for the 90PS turbocharged engine. It’s the same three cylinder 1.0-litre unit again, but the addition of the turbo transforms it, giving it much greater flexibility and genuine long-distance capability. Models with this engine are far less numerous on the used market, but it’s still economical and cheap to run so it’s worth it if you can find one.

For a much more pared back experience, the early 60PS version of the 1.0-litre engine gets the job done, but it's not in a rush while doing it.

As for gearboxes, the standard five-speed manual was the main option. It has well-chosen ratios, so it’s easy to get up to speed yet can cruise comfortably on the motorway. The automatic (which is actually a clunky automated manual) spoils the driving experience - so avoid it unless you absolutely have to drive an auto.

You expect a certain level of refinement from a Volkswagen, and even though the Up was the least expensive model in the range, it still managed to deliver. It’s one of the best in the class even now, despite its age, and it means the Up is more usable as a commuter car and on longer journeys. The high standard of build quality is a help here, with few vibrations making their way into the cabin.

The three-cylinder engine sounds like it’s working hard, particularly if it’s the 60PS (or later 65PS) version, but it’s actually quite a smooth unit and the sound coming from it even when you do work it hard is not unpleasant. There’s no difference in noise levels between the various power output versions, but the higher the output, the less stick you have to give the engine to get up to speed - so the 90PS version is the best choice once again.

At low to medium speeds noise from other sources is kept well in check. Small wheels mean skinny tyres so tyre noise is reasonably low on most surfaces, while wind noise doesn’t present any problems. At higher speeds the latter starts to make itself known, but not unreasonably so, you can take on a lengthy motorway journey without having to stop frequently to give your ears a break.

The Volkswagen Up has been tested twice by Euro NCAP. Once in 2011 when the car was initially launched, and then again in 2019 as the electric e-Up. In the first test it scored five stars, but in the most recent test it achieved three stars. 

There are three mitigating factors in respect of the change in score. Firstly, Euro NCAP frequently raises the bar, so cars must keep getting safer to achieve a higher score, and secondly the e-Up is substantially heavier than the petrol Up - almost 400kg. Finally, a significant amount of active safety tech is required to get the highest scores, and fitting all that would mean the Up was no longer a cheap car.

In the 2011 test, the Up achieved 89% for adult protection and 80% for child protection, and although pedestrian mitigation was quite low at 46% - a result of being such a short car - it managed a high 86% for safety assist. Standard equipment includes front and side airbags, seat belt pretensioners and load limiters and Isofix child seat mounting points, hill hold assist and tyre pressure monitoring. 

At launch, all models bar the entry-level Up (called Take Up) were fitted with ESC as standard, but this was included on all models when the range was revised in 2016. All later Ups come with ESC as standard, as well as lane assist, although automatic emergency braking was not available as an option on any version.

Volkswagen came 21st out of 29 in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index. Owners find the cars dependable and well-made, with over 87.3% of owners saying they're satisfied overall. 

The VW Up is an excellent buy if you want a dependable, cheap to run car. Not only is it mechanically simple and lacking complex gadgets, it'll also prove inexpensive to fix if anything does go wrong. Known problems are few and far between, although clutch failures have been reported. This is as much due to driving style as it is the car itself, but make sure the clutch engages smoothly and doesn't slip. 

Ignore the Volkswagen Up GTI and the 90PS turbo, and the entire range is between group 1E and 3E, which means premiums don’t get much cheaper. That makes it as affordable as it possibly could be for new drivers, making it an ideal choice. 

Older and more experienced drivers can enjoy insuring their Up for as little as possible, alongside fuel bills that are amongst the lowest in the class. The 1.0-litre 90PS turbo is group 10E, so will push premiums up a little but not so much as to make it expensive.

Just like its sister cars from SEAT and Skoda, the Volkswagen Up can be free to tax thanks to sub-100g/km CO2 emissions on some model. Or, it can cost considerably more than that depending on the version you choose but, more importantly, on the age of the vehicle. 

Ups registered from 1 April 2017 get hit with the latest tax rules so you pay £190, while earlier Ups can pay £20 or nothing at all - so choose carefully.

If you’re buying a Volkswagen Up, the base specification (just called Up) is worth considering if you're looking at newer cars from 2020 onwards. Unlike the older cars, it includes some of the more essential bits of equipment like air conditioning and remote central locking, and you get the same infotainment system as the rest of the range too. Consider the Up Beats if you want a banging stereo system and nicer looking interior, too.

The basic Take Up is a pretty barren thing, so we’d suggest choosing the Move Up as a minimum to get the height adjustable driver’s seat, electric front windows and air conditioning. There are many special editions too, but most of them are just visual upgrades spun off the High Up, so don’t pay more for them. The High Up itself is the top dog, and comes with some leather trim and heated front seats, which are nice to have but not worth breaking the bank for.