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Volkswagen UP variants
Total price
Monthly payment

Finance representative example (PCP)

Total cash price £13,999. Borrowing £12,599 with a £1,400 deposit at a representative APR of 11.9%.

48 monthly payments
£249.92
Fixed interest rate
11.9%
Total amount payable
£18,117.36
Cost of credit
£4,118.36
Optional final payment
£4,721.00
Purchase fee
£10.00
Annual mileage limit
6000 miles

Volkswagen Up buying guide

The Volkswagen Up's main rivals include the Kia Picanto, Fiat 500 and Hyundai i10, while there’s also the Skoda Citigo and SEAT Mii to consider – especially as the SEAT and Skoda are near-enough identical to the VW. Read our guide and learn which Up is best for you.

What Volkswagen Up trim levels are there?

Highlights of entry-level Up trim include 15-inch alloys, ‘Fusion’ cloth trim, manual air-con and electric front windows. The White Edition and Black Edition are different twists on the same theme, with both having 16-inch alloys complemented by white or black contrast colours for the alloys, roof, door mirrors and dashpad respectively. 

Beats trim is distinguished by red or black exterior trim highlights (depending on exterior colour) and cloth seat trim with microfleece side bolsters, but the Beats’ USP is an audio system with eight-channel amplifier, 300w output and chunky subwoofer. R-Line introduces a more sporting flavour, with 16-inch alloys, a contrast black roof and door mirrors, lowered suspension, more purposeful front and rear bumpers, and there’s heated front seats and electric heated door mirrors too. 

The GTI is a standalone higher-performance model perhaps best thought of as a miniature Golf GTI. Highlights include unique body styling, 17-inch alloys and lowered sports suspension. 

The all-electric e-Up also benefits from a unique spec, including 15-inch alloys, exterior styling pack, heated front seats, electric heated mirrors, parking sensors and a rear-view camera. 

For models produced before the recent trim level tweak, you might also see Take up!, Move up! and High up! alongside familiar models. 

Volkswagen Up interior and technology

The Up is both VW’s cheapest and oldest model, so don’t expect the same interior trimmings that you’d find in the Golf or Tiguan. Most noticeably, there’s no touchscreen – unlike a Picanto or i10 – but VW does provide a phone holder and some apps to download. It’s a city car designed mainly for short hops across town, so what more do you need? VW deciding not to redesign the car’s interior to fit a touchscreen has kept costs down, too.

But all recent Ups come with Bluetooth and DAB radio, so you’re not missing out on your favourite songs.

Volkswagen Up engine range explained

Volkswagen Up 1.0

The standard petrol engine is a really good fit for the Up. It’s nippy around town and not out of its depth on faster roads, either – just be patient when accelerating. Because the Up is so light, the 1.0-litre petrol engine is able to achieve over 65mpg so it costs a lot less to fill up than bigger cars. And, because it’s a simple engine with little to go wrong and few consumables to replace, it should continue to be cheap to run throughout your time with the car.

Volkswagen Up GTI 1.0 TSI

Okay, so the figures don’t sound all that impressive – 115hp and 0-62mph in just under nine seconds – but the Up GTI is fun, whatever speed you’re doing. You don’t have to be on a racetrack to get the most out of it. It’s darty and energetic, even if you’re only going to the supermarket. Even so, it can return over 50mpg pretty easily.

Volkswagen e-Up 32kWh

The VW e-Up is perhaps the perfect city car, because it boasts all the standard Up qualities with a quiet, zero-emission electric powertrain. Whether it’s clean air zones, tight multistorey car parks and the occasional jaunt out of city limits, the e-Up takes it all in its stride. The 161-mile range is impressive for an electric car of this size and price, and you get free road tax on top.

Volkswagen Up FAQs

You can choose three- or five-door Up models, although in recent times most trim levels are limited to the five-door. Most examples of the Up have small, frugal petrol engines, but there’s also the Volkswagen e-Up electric version with over 150 miles of range. Just be prepared for lots of people thinking they’re funny by asking if the e-Up is from Yorkshire…

It may be little bigger than a matchbox, but the VW Up provides plenty of space for four adults. There’s not much less space than you get in a Polo, even though the 3.6m-long Up is nearly half a metre shorter than the holey mint car. The 251-litre boot is near-enough class leading, and it’s a very deep space that can carry more than you might expect. Flip the 60:40 rear seats and you get nearly 1,000 litres to fill, thanks to the Up’s endearingly boxy shape.

Most Up variants use a 1.0-litre engine with either 60hp, 75hp or 90hp power outputs, but the GTI takes VW’s hot-hatch recipe to the city car class, and drops a punchy 1.0-litre turbo engine mustering 115hp under the bonnet, with predictably energetic results. The GTI’s already a cult classic. 

Every Up is front-wheel drive, and while most are equipped with a manual gearbox (including all GTIs), there are a limited number with automatic gearboxes. All the e-Up EVs are automatic.

Yes, all petrol VW Up cars can use E10 fuel. You can read more about E10 petrol here.

An automatic gearbox was available on some petrol Ups but it's rare – most buyers chose the manual. Look out for cars with 'ASG' written in the title, as this signifies the auto. However, all e-Ups have an automatic gearbox, and the e-Up is barely any more expensive as a used car than the petrol Up.

Yes. The petrol-powered Up is a simple car with very little to go wrong – there's no turbocharger on most versions, and no touchscreen infotainment system to pick up electrical gremlins. With so few moving parts, the electric e-Up is also very dependable.

The Volkswagen Up is one of the best first cars you can buy. It's fun, happy, inexpensive to buy and run, and spacious enough for four people. There's no touchscreen but you can use your phone's apps and mount it in the standard-fit phone holder.