Volkswagen has taken the covers off its new entry-level model, the Up! hatchback. The car was first showcased four years ago as a concept car at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show. The Up! which will be launched in India in early 2012 will be an identical copy of the concept car with minimal changes.
In terms of pricing, the car will be priced between Rs. 3,00,000 and Rs. 5,00,000 and will give competition to top selling cars such as Hyundai i10, Maruti Suzuki A-Star and Ford Figo. The car will be available in three variants, namely – Take Up!, Move Up! and High Up!.
Built on Volkswagen’s new MQB platform, the production version of the car employs a more conventional transverse front-engine/front-wheel-drive layout in tune with the rest of the Volkswagen lineup. The hatchback is fitted with a 1 liter, 3 cylinder petrol engine that is capable of producing 60 PS and 75 PS power respectively. Apart from Bluemotion technology, the car also boasts of the new safety technology system called the City Emergency Braking.
The Up! will initially be produced at an existing Volkswagen factory in Slovakia and later would also be produced in Brazil, China, India and Russia.