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Volkswagen’s Smallest Hot Hatchback Priced At EUR 16,975

The GTI story may have started with the Golf, but Volkswagen’s affinity for the hot hatchback doesn’t end here. The Polo received the go-faster treatment in ‘95, and now the time has come for the up! to carry the torch.
Volkswagen up! GTI 12 photos
Photo: Volkswagen
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First, let’s talk numbers. With 115 metric horsepower (85 kW) and 200 Nm (148 pound-feet) of torque from a 1.0-liter TSI three-cylinder turbo, the up! GTI is underwhelming in comparison to its bigger brothers. The thing is, the up! is closer to what the term “hot hatchback” meant back in the 1970s thanks to its itsy-bitsy footprint and relatively low curb weight.

Tipping the scales at 997 kilograms, the up! GTI is a little portlier than the Golf GTI Mk1 (810 kilograms). The advantage in output, gearing, and the more modern tires, however, render the up! faster in a straight line (8.8 versus 9 seconds to 100 km/h; 196 km/h compared to 182 km/h for the Golf Mk1).

Having gone through these numbers, it’s easy to understand the appeal of the up! GTI in an automotive world dominated by increasingly larger hatchbacks. The current selection of hot hatchbacks happens to be heavier than ever before because of over-the-top features such as the newest all-wheel-drive technology available, with Renault and Honda resisting this in-thing with the latest generations of the Megane RS and Civic Type R.

The price, as expected, puts the up! GTI in Golf territory. At €16,975 in Germany, the sportiest up! in the family is seven grand pricier than the entry-level variant and €1,100 less than the most basic Golf on sale today. On the upside, the newcomer comes with all the bells and whistles one could wish for in the A-segment, including tartan fabric-wrapped seats.

When it comes to customization, the classically correct Red and Pure White exterior colors are joined by more modern options such as Dark Silver and Black Pearl. 17-inch alloy wheels with 195-mm wide tires are standard and look the business in conjunction with the red brake calipers. Speaking of stopping power, the rear axle is equipped with drum brakes.

The up! GTI is the first Volkswagen to obtain type approval based on the new Worldwide Harmonized Light-Duty Vehicles Test Procedure. WLTP for short, the more realistic fuel economy test cycle determined that the sportiest up! of them all drinks 5.6 - 5.7 l/100 km combined.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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