Photo: Volkswagen
Supply issues caused the Volkswagen Up! to go on and off sale a few times, but the city car is now reportedly gone for good, with the German automaker retiring it after a 12-year production run.
The decision hasn't been officially confirmed, but according to Autocar, the last copy of the VW Up! recently rolled off the line at the company's facility in Bratislava, Slovakia. A quick look on certain official European websites reveals that the model is still on sale, though it likely refers to the units that can still be found in dealer lots.
When it first launched in the United Kingdom back in 2011, it used to kick off from just under £8,000 (equal to $9,765 today), and that price went up to over £15,000 ($18,310) this year. In Germany, it is listed from €14,555 ($15,356), and it is significantly more expensive in other European countries like Italy and France. There, it starts at €17,750 ($18,727) and €19,400 ($20,468), respectively.
The decision to phase off the Up! came a few months after Volkswagen retired the Up! GTI for good. The tiny hot hatch, which has a 113 hp (115 ps/85 kW) and 148 lb-ft (200 Nm) of torque 1.0-liter three-pot, was retired at the beginning of the year. It was initially believed that it was only temporary, but as it turns out, the Up! GTI won't make a comeback, not as we all knew it, anyway.
Introduced in 2011, the Volkswagen Up! was the brand's smallest production vehicle. The A-segment hatchback succeeded the Fox, which replaced the Lupo in turn and was offered with different gasoline powertrains and a CNG (compressed natural gas) alternative, joined by a battery-electric variant. It had a front-engine and front-wheel drive layout, and customers were able to choose between two body styles at one point: a three-door and a five-door hatchback.
The VW Group's NSF construction wasn't exclusive to this model, as it also gave birth to rebadged city cars made by Skoda and SEAT. We're talking about the Citigo and Mii, respectively, which were also killed for good. The Skoda Citigo left production in 2020, followed one year later by the SEAT Mii.
As you can probably guess, the Volkswagen Up! won't make a comeback for the next generation, as it has been reported that its successor could be electric. Allegedly christened the VW ID.1, it might be some four years away from being introduced, and it should be the automaker's most affordable electric vehicle.
In the meantime, the brand's small car role goes to the bigger Polo. The supermini remains on sale in Europe for now, and it has been reported that it might be dropped for good in the coming years due to the Euro 7 emission regulations, with its successor also being an EV, supposedly dubbed the ID.2.
When it first launched in the United Kingdom back in 2011, it used to kick off from just under £8,000 (equal to $9,765 today), and that price went up to over £15,000 ($18,310) this year. In Germany, it is listed from €14,555 ($15,356), and it is significantly more expensive in other European countries like Italy and France. There, it starts at €17,750 ($18,727) and €19,400 ($20,468), respectively.
The decision to phase off the Up! came a few months after Volkswagen retired the Up! GTI for good. The tiny hot hatch, which has a 113 hp (115 ps/85 kW) and 148 lb-ft (200 Nm) of torque 1.0-liter three-pot, was retired at the beginning of the year. It was initially believed that it was only temporary, but as it turns out, the Up! GTI won't make a comeback, not as we all knew it, anyway.
Introduced in 2011, the Volkswagen Up! was the brand's smallest production vehicle. The A-segment hatchback succeeded the Fox, which replaced the Lupo in turn and was offered with different gasoline powertrains and a CNG (compressed natural gas) alternative, joined by a battery-electric variant. It had a front-engine and front-wheel drive layout, and customers were able to choose between two body styles at one point: a three-door and a five-door hatchback.
The VW Group's NSF construction wasn't exclusive to this model, as it also gave birth to rebadged city cars made by Skoda and SEAT. We're talking about the Citigo and Mii, respectively, which were also killed for good. The Skoda Citigo left production in 2020, followed one year later by the SEAT Mii.
As you can probably guess, the Volkswagen Up! won't make a comeback for the next generation, as it has been reported that its successor could be electric. Allegedly christened the VW ID.1, it might be some four years away from being introduced, and it should be the automaker's most affordable electric vehicle.
In the meantime, the brand's small car role goes to the bigger Polo. The supermini remains on sale in Europe for now, and it has been reported that it might be dropped for good in the coming years due to the Euro 7 emission regulations, with its successor also being an EV, supposedly dubbed the ID.2.
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