It's not a real VW until it gets some overpriced wheels and lowered suspension. That's what we always say, and it finally happened for the new Up! GTI.
VW toyed with the idea of a hot Up! for many years, first coming up with the Up! GT concept only to later consider dropping the model altogether. But after enough people said it was the best car in the segment, the Germans finally gave the green light to the weird GTI project of recent times.
Nowadays, hot hatchbacks are all about huge air intakes and powerful 2-liter engines, but the engine bay of the little Up! was filled, so the GTI only got a turbo for a total output of 115 horsepower. It's cheap and won quite a few awards, but tuners have been slow to pick it up, and we're not surprised at all, since the drag races all show it's much slower than something like a Suzuki Swift Sport.
We suspect the Up! GTI will leave a better long-term impression than rivals like the smart Brabus or Renault Twingo GT. Also, that "as much power as the original Golf GTI" marketing can't be ignored.
Today, we're dealing with the first serious body kit from a company called Ingo Noak. It's a simple ground effects treatment, but it works perfectly with all the other features that were added. You don't need anything more on a cheap city car that might scrape its nose on a speed bump.
In addition to the splitters and skirts, the Up! rests closer to the ground on some new shocks and has added curb appeal. Those look like mbDESIGN wheels in a much smaller size than usual, maybe 16 inches. The engine is still stock here, but we have seen that the 1-lier can push about 140 HP with a quick tune.
Nowadays, hot hatchbacks are all about huge air intakes and powerful 2-liter engines, but the engine bay of the little Up! was filled, so the GTI only got a turbo for a total output of 115 horsepower. It's cheap and won quite a few awards, but tuners have been slow to pick it up, and we're not surprised at all, since the drag races all show it's much slower than something like a Suzuki Swift Sport.
We suspect the Up! GTI will leave a better long-term impression than rivals like the smart Brabus or Renault Twingo GT. Also, that "as much power as the original Golf GTI" marketing can't be ignored.
Today, we're dealing with the first serious body kit from a company called Ingo Noak. It's a simple ground effects treatment, but it works perfectly with all the other features that were added. You don't need anything more on a cheap city car that might scrape its nose on a speed bump.
In addition to the splitters and skirts, the Up! rests closer to the ground on some new shocks and has added curb appeal. Those look like mbDESIGN wheels in a much smaller size than usual, maybe 16 inches. The engine is still stock here, but we have seen that the 1-lier can push about 140 HP with a quick tune.