Volkswagen reveals 6 concept cars – all based on the up!
Posted 13th September, 2011 in Volkswagen | Leave a comment
Not content with débuting its new up! at this year’s Frankfurt Auto Show, Volkswagen has revealed six variations based on Wolfsburg’s baby.
The buggy up! is inspired by those glass-reinforced plastic-bodied Beetle-based beach machines from yesteryear. Apart from its face, this 21st century buggy concept is barely recognisable as an up!. Featuring rugged grey bumpers and enlarged side sills, and a fully waterproof interior – right down to the neoprene coated shell seats – complete with water drains; you’ll never be sitting in a puddle…
Next, is the open-topped up! azzurra sailing team. Taking its name from a yacht club on the Costa Smeralda, it was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Walter de Silva as the perfect vehicle for travelling around the world’s marinas. Trimmed in white-blue leather, with a mahogany dashboard and plenty of chrome components, we can just see Hugh Hefner buzzing around on the deck of his luxury yacht in one.
Then there’s the cross up!. Designed for big city driving, it’s the only concept that features four doors. With a raised ride height and those satin effect dark grey arch extensions and black side strips along the flanks, the cross up! portrays a bulkier persona. The silver theme on both bumpers is carried on underneath the car, providing underbody protection. Volkswagen has hinted that this prototype is very close to production, and would fit in perfectly with the CrossPolo, CrossGolf and CrossTouran range.
Having owned several early Mk1 Golf GTIs, the GT up! was always going to be our favourite. As Volkswagen points out, the up! wasn’t exactly designed to tear up tarmac, hence the range of low-power engines. But in a car weighing barely 900 kg, 100 PS would feel like a whole lot of fun – and probably the closest thing to a 1970s GTI. Wearing a wide honeycomb grille, roof spoiler, 17-inch alloys and twin exhausts – we want one!!!
Next is the natural gas-powered eco up! Volkswagen has already stated that this car will be on our roads by next year, but for now, it’s a concept. Powered by a new 1.0L three-cylinder engine, combined with the BlueMotion’s battery regeneration and Stop/Start system, the eco up! gets through just 2.5 kg of natural gas every 100 km, while emitting an unbelievable 79 g grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre. The natural gas is stored in 2 tanks under the floor, with a combined fuel capacity of 72 litres.
Another car marked for production is an electric version of the up!. Due to hit dealerships in 2013, the e-up! With 18 kWh capacity batteries – housed in the car’s underbody – feeding the 60 kW (continuous: 40 kW) and 210 Nm electric motor, the e-up! has a range of up to 130 km – depending on your driving style. The driver simply activates the forward or reverse gear by selected the desired button located on the centre console.
[Source: Volkswagen]
