The VW Up! concept unveiled at last year’s Frankfurt auto show in September is in the news again, with a huge change to its basic design that should bring it closer to production.
While the concepts, both in 3- and 5-door guise, used a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout similar to the original Beetle’s, the latest reports from Germany have the car moving the powertrain up front, in line with the vast majority of modern econo-cars.
In this time of tight budgets, high gas prices and customers who are less and less likely to part with their hard-earned cash on brand new wheels, VW has decided to use its current FWD platform for the Up! The engines for the Europe-bound Up! will include VW’s 1.2-liter range, according to an Autozeitung report.
A hybrid version of the small people mover is expected, along with gasoline and diesel-powered derivatives. We wonder how high gas prices will have to climb in North America before buyers’ spending habits convince VW to bring a version of the Up! here in the future.
06/20, 4:03 PM
posted by:
peter g
Nice…Will make VW money I guess.
06/20, 4:08 PM
posted by:
Madcapp
Great way to show you have no balls, Volkswagen.
06/20, 4:38 PM
posted by:
A4
i think we learned that with the GX3.. now they just have sommore stupid blend-in cars. should have kept it Rear/RWD. assholes.
06/20, 4:38 PM
posted by:
NoNameDenton1
If it works, it works, if not back to the drawing board.
06/20, 4:54 PM
posted by:
golf4me
Ummm, doesn’t that make it a Polo essentially? Dumb move, VW. Coulda had a unique product in an increasingly crowded segment not to mention the dynamic advantages of a rear/rear layout. Coulda/woulda been a really fun small car.
06/20, 5:09 PM
posted by:
56oval
Putting the engine in front they will certainly jack-up that cool looking grill treatment. Too bad. Guess I’ll keep my ‘57 Bus!
06/20, 5:40 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
How
… V ery
… W omanly
…… of VW.
06/20, 6:01 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
They’re just too pissed off at Porsche these days. They probably figure if they made it RE/RWD it’d be the first thing Porsche would rebadge once they’re in control.
06/20, 7:00 PM
posted by:
The Stig
Someone’s going to say to their VW service advisor, sooner rather than later, “it’s all f*cked up!”
06/21, 5:23 AM
posted by:
Got Handling?
what difference now between this and the Lupo?
06/21, 2:02 PM
posted by:
F451
An unmitigated hit, and sellout when it hits showrooms.
06/21, 11:57 PM
posted by:
Vroom
F451 – It may sell out to the misinformed only to fill the service bays of VW dealerships across the nation as rounds of endless recalls keep’em coming back time after time after time….
Don’t bring it here. We don’t need another VW-POS littering our roads.
06/22, 3:25 AM
posted by:
NoNameDenton1
We also do not need someone claiming a vehicle is a POS before it comes out, but people do that anyways.
06/22, 11:51 PM
posted by:
jayjc08
Rear wheel drive is more efficient than front wheel drive. The only reason why people associate rear wheel drive as inefficient is the extra parts associated with it. Power is used much more efficiently when sent to the rear wheels.
Not the first time I’ve thought creativity has gone to pot…