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Volkswagen Up

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Expert Rating

Volkswagen Up

(2012 – present)

    Summary


    The Volkswagen Up (styled as the up!) is a city car-class small hatchback, available with either three or five doors. It is effectively the same vehicle as the SEAT Mii and Skoda Citigo, neither of which are still on sale.

    An electric version of the Up was also available for several years, called the e-Up. Unsurprisingly, this is virtually identical to the SEAT Mii Electric and Skoda Citigo e iV, although all of these electric models have now ended production. There is also a high-performance model called the Up GTI, which we have covered separately.

    Despite being in production for nearly a decade, the Volkswagen Up is still one of the highest-rated small cars on sale. As of November 2022, its Expert Rating of 77% is still one of the top small cars on sale. Interestingly, this is significantly better than the electric e-Up, with the consensus of reviewers being that the little Volkswagen works much better as a petrol car than an electric one.

    The Volkswagen Up has been highly praised for its build quality and driving dynamics, as well as its low running costs. However, its safety rating was downgraded by Euro NCAP due to its lack of modern accident-avoidance technology.

    Key specifications


    Body style: Small three- and five-door hatch
    Engine: petrol
    Price: From £13,940 on-road

    Launched: Winter 2011/12
    Last updated: Spring 2019
    Replacement due: TBA


    Media reviews


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    Motors.co.uk

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    Parkers

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    The Sun

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    Top Gear

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    What Car?

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    Which?

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    Safety rating


    Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

    Overall score: 3 stars
    Date tested: December 2019
    Read the full Euro NCAP review

    Adult protection: 81%
    Child protection: 83%
    Vulnerable road users: 46%
    Safety assist: 55%

    Notes on safety

    The Volkswagen Up was initially given a five-star safety rating by Euro NCAP when it was first assessed, which was way back in 2011. However, it was reassessed in 2019 and downgraded to a three-star rating. It still provides competitive protection in the event of an accident, but it no longer meets the highest standards for avoiding an accident in the first place.

    Eco rating


    No eco rating

    As of November 2022, the Volkswagen Up has not been lab tested by Green NCAP. The Up is now an old car, so it is likely that it will never be tested by Green NCAP. If it does ever happen, we’ll update this page with the results.

    Reliability rating

    MotorEasy logo 600x167

    As of November 2022, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Volkswagen Up to generate a reliability rating.

    The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusive from extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Up, we’ll publish the score here.

    Awards


    Trophies, prizes and awards that the Volkswagen Up has received

    2020

    • Auto Express Awards – Best City Car

    2019

    • Auto Express Awards – Best City Car
    • What Car? Used Car Awards – Best City Car
    • DieselCar & EcoCar Top 50 – Best sub-110g/km Petrol Car

    2018

    • Auto Express Awards – Best City Car

    2017

    • Auto Express Awards – Best City Car

    2016

    • Top Gear Awards – Best First Wheels
    • Telegraph Cars Awards – Best Car Under £10,000

    2013

    • Fleet World Honours – Best City Car
    • What Car? Awards – Best City Car

    2012

    • World Car of the Year
    • What Car? Awards – Car of the Year
    • Carbuyer Awards – Best City Car
    • Scottish Car of the Year Awards – Best Compact Car
    • Fleet World Honours – Best City Car
    • Next Green Car Awards – Best City Car

    2011

    • Top Gear Awards – Best Small Car

    Similar cars


    If you’re looking at the Volkswagen Up, you might also be interested in these alternatives

    Citroën C1 | Fiat 500 | Fiat Panda | Hyundai i10 | Kia Picanto | Peugeot 108 | SEAT Mii | Skoda Citigo | Toyota Aygo

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    Best car rankings

    The top cars in every category

    The Car Expert has the ultimate ranking of the best and worst new cars on sale, based on scores from 30 of the top UK motoring websites. We'll be adding more cars and more lists all the time, so keep checking back for the latest results.

    Despite being on sale for nearly a decade, the Volkswagen Up is still one of the top-rated small cars according to our Expert Rating index.Volkswagen Up