I thought the VW Lupo was small enough to do duty as a small city car. Anything smaller would be in Smartcar territory

maybe that’s the centerpiece for VW @ Frankfurt. I’m excited by any Bimmers that may show up.

Either way, I’m glad VW is finally building a rear-wheel drive vehicle again. If it’s remotely fun to drive, cheap and relatively cool-looking, it’ll sell.

The “city” people in the US love VWs.

i would love to at least see a scetch of the car, sounds small, smaller than an eos.

Deanster, you’re correct; it is a Smart competitor that they’ll be building.

This is a great return to roots. Build back some style and relevance credibility for a brand that used to be known for both. Then bring it up to the Golf, Jetta and Passat range for the rest of us. Up the quality, and drop the goofy names nobody can pronounce (Tiguan, Toureg) and VW will be back!

In that price range it’ll be going against the reliable and safe Honda Fit. That’s a tough competition to beat especially when it doesn’t come with power steering.

Am I the only one who thinks a 3, 2, or 1 cylinder car will be BEYOND gutless since the Smart is only 80 something HP? 0 to 60 in 30 seconds>

With 1 cylinder, it probably won’t do 60. It sounds like a scooter for two in the city only. Not an unreasonable idea, especially if the weather is mild where you live.

City Expert? Isn’t City a Honda trademark? I can’t imagine VW would consider bringing this to the US considering they are pricing base Rabbits close to the projected Smart base price already! A four door competitor to the Smart doesn’t sound feasible for the US, particularly with a 2- or 3-cylinder engine.

I bet the homos will love it, which, from what I’ve seen in VW’s current lineup, is exactly who their trying to appeal to. They’ll have the engine right up the rear, where they like it.

CTS driver, I to would like to see a SKETCH of the car and yes of course it will be smaller than the Eos, much smaller.

Great idea for India. Will be a flop everywhere else, just like the rest of lineup. Why not try to make their existing cars move? In the biggest market US they’re ahead only of Reno, Peugeot and Citroen. And it is only because of that famous Gallic fighting spirit!

I’m undecided…I’m an independent in this situation, a swing-voter if you will. I like the idea, but not sure if I’d get it myself. Maybe I will…maybe I won’t…it’s a mystery.

Wow V-series. I mean damn dude I’m not gay but you sound like the ideal “coming out of the closet” kind of man. I’m sorry, I meant boy.

On that note, 3 cyl. cars are laughable.

RR? Worth looking at, though it’s not my type of car

At 130 inches it is too small. If they made it 160 inches with good sized storage in the front, it might be worth something; With a car that small, assuming it is less than 2000 lbs, you don’t really need power steering. I doubt that it will pass North American crash standards.

“I doubt that it will pass North American crash standards.”

If it will be sold in Europe, you can rest assured it will pass US crash tests, since it will obviously be certified by the EuroNCAP tests…

It may be called the “city expert” overseas, but thats only because they never really had the Beetle nameplate like the US did. Thisll be called Beetle if it comes here.

This is more like a 3 wheeled moped than a car. VW just throws in the 4th wheel for free.

How unfortunate.. it looks almost exactly like the Aygo and its other contemporaries in the class, but adds less cargo versatility, a noisier cabin and inherently tricky handling. If they wanted to depart so dramatically from the powertrain layout norm, why wouldn’t they depart a little more in the styling area as well?

I remember reading about tiny, bulbous cars that we’d all be driving “in the future”, when I was a kid. (as a point of reference, back then, the ‘59 Cadillac was the ultimate car) It would appear that, with all the tiny cars popping up lately, the future is here.

I can’t imagine owning something like this VW, or the Smart, as an only car (I live in Nashville, TN, where “everyday driving” involves way too much interstate driving for this), but it would seem the perfect vehicle for someone whose driving consists mostly of in-town commuting.

If these cars are not woefully underpowered, they could be a blast to drive.

kind of cute, I guess.
V-series: funny stuff

among the worst ideas ever was the 3-cylinder geo metro convertible. I’d not like my face to be seen, driving a three (or four)-cylinder car.

I liked the trio of concepts that GM introduced at the New York show much better than this odd looking little box. I really wouldn’t buy any vehicle in this class, but I would choose one of the GM vehicles (if they were to reach production) over this.

So they’re calling it a “real Volkswagen” which means it’ll start breaking down about 200 meters from the dealership on the first day of ownership ………………….. and never stop.

weird

The back reminds of a Volvo C-30

By the way, LLN: I think the last rear-engine VW layout was not on the original Beetle. They had the Karmann Ghia and the VW 411 – both RR – since Hitler’s days, you know.

I’m not clear on the benefit of a rear engine in this design. It’s not like this car needs RWD for high performance.

Rear-engined cars have inherently poor space utilization. Since the front wheels need room to turn, they cut into a front luggage area although there’s usually plenty of space for an engine up front. A rear engine also generally raises the load floor (compare to the amazing depth of the Honda Jazz/Fit rear luggage compartment, for example).

RicardoHead—I don’t know where you get your opinion that VW’s are unreliable, but mine sure isn’t. I have an ‘03 Passat, 1.8T automatic. I bought it with 45K miles on it, and it now has 75K. It has required NOTHING except gas and oil changes. I’d say that’s pretty reliable, wouldn’t you?

Spingood—you make a couple of good points there. I wonder if VW is doing that for the sake of history? But maybe they’ve figured out a way to get good space utilization AND good handling out of it.

Great concept for a small city car like a la the Fiat 500, and miles ahead of the “Smart” car. Dig those big VW enblems on the wheels like older air cooled VWs had when they first came out. This category of cars is certianly not for enthuisasts, but it really gets back to VWs original roots, and would be very popular like the original bug if it were offered.

The thing has a back seat — from the look of it a more substantial back seat than the Mini Cooper — so it’s NOT a Smart competitor. It’s a Yaris/Fit/Aveo/Accent fighter. If they can bring this (pictured) level of Euro style to that vehicle class at $4,000 or $5,000 less than a Mini, they’ll clean up. Now if only they can lick the reliability issues…

Also if they bring the Up! nameplate to market, they have a lot of special-edition potential there. The orange-and-brown Throw Up! The baseball-stitched seats come on the Toss Up! Not to mention limited-run editions named Screw, Fess, Drink, Ante and ****, for which I’m sure you can supply your own descriptions.

Wow TomF, you are quite the marketing geneus lol

Love it, looks awesome. Would take this over a Smart any day, and even over a Mini. Good design cues.

Ok…..

It’s just like every other VW subcompact. I could get the Rabbit or the GTI and have the same basic effect…

V-Series and Jack, just because a car is small doesn’t mean it is made for woman or whatever other group you choose to make fun of! Which part of “CITY CAR” don’t you get? Oh I get it, you two hillbillies have never actually been to a city.

It looks like VW is joining the small car craze. More choices can’t be bad.

This looks like a Twingo competitor to me – pretty funky.

These pictures are worthless without one of the engine.

The engine and location is what makes the car unique.

Show me the engine.

I like how VW is going more of a product/architecture approach to their design language again. yes!! leave the emotional design to BMW/MB.

FUGLY

is it me or this thing is missing left pedal? If so, it is not competing with anything. Diesels are fun to drive with manuals (they a bit slow from 0 to 15/20 km/hr). With auto this thing will be more then resembles of peoples car – it’s performance will be quite identical.

ugh it looks way to japanese
real volkswagen my ass

A4, things at VW started going wrong when the Jettarolla came out.

sharpie: I’ve been to many large cities, (though never Mexico City or Sao Paulo), grew up in many of the bad parts of Los Angelles, and now live in an exurb. My grandfather farmed in Arkansas 60+ years ago, but i’m no hillbilly.

No, I’m 6′ and north of 200 pounds, and most small cars are just torture for me. besides, nothing wrong with liking ball-out power. If you like the geo metro, it doesn’t make you less of a human being than me.

the mini is the only Cute car that really interests me.

RR is a real bastard to figure out how to control. i prefer FR or MR.

i don’t think the fit really belongs with accent/yaris/aveo/twingo. it’s small, but i belive it’s somehow different. can’t put my finger on it. Maybe it’s the wagon thing

do they still make the Fox? i thought that was their small car

My GTI is an unbelievable piece of crap. It’s three years old, and creaks and rattles like a 1980s K-car. Something new breaks almost every week. I can’t wait to ditch it and rid myself of Volkswagen forever.

up! my ass

we’re full of minis in Sao Paulo, but this won’t work. And now with the Trifuel (NVG, gas and ethanol) coming out of the factory, this VW is irrelevant here.

Why is everyone brings up their ass on this forum? I understand invitation by the name of up! but offering ones ass is definitely coming out(from closet). Let’s have male decorum or resemblance of such.
The name of the car is definitely misnomer. If you are NOT gay and up! did happen there is no place on back seat for missionary position. There is not much room for any other position as well (I can speak only from hetero perspective).

Cars like this one and the Toyota IQ will force smart to introduce a larger car to remain relevant. Most USoAmericans who would consider a fortwo if it had just a little more room would like a car like this or the IQ, IMHO the fortwo is less bland and dull than the UP! and better looking than the IQ. Overall I really like this “tiny” car category, it give the designers a challenge and it give drivers more choices. I have driven a 2007 fortwo (street smart roadshow) and after I got over the OMG shock at just how small these cars really are, I really liked it. These little cars need to be more than just little version of Yari and Fit, which have a real entry level feel, if they are going to appeal to USoA folks. The nicer fortwo’s have a real up level feel about them, they don’t feel like entry level cars (I drove a passion cabrio… Loved it… )

GOOD