Revised Volkswagen e-up! wins City Car category in 2016 Next Green Car Awards.

• Revised e-up! wins City Car category in 2016 Next Green Car Awards
• Latest e-up! has new infotainment functionality and sharper styling
• Volkswagen e-up! is on sale now at £20,780 (RRP OTR, incl. government grant)

The Volkswagen e-up! has won the hotly contested City Car category in the Next Green Car Awards. 

Volkswagen’s popular up! family has been a consistent winner since its launch in 2011 and, following a refresh of the exterior and interior styling, plus an extensive redesign of the infotainment system, the awards keep on coming.

The refreshed e-up! went on sale in the UK in September.  It’s powered by an 82 PS electric motor that has a 204-cell lithium-ion battery pack located within the car’s floor.  It is rated at 374 volts, or 18.7 kWh. 

The important figure is the range: The e-up! can travel 93 miles between charges, and charging the e-up! to 80 per cent takes just 30 minutes via a fast-charge connection.

As well as its clever packaging and quick charging, the e-up! benefits from punchy acceleration thanks to the 210 Nm of torque from the electric motor.  The car can reach 62 mph in 12.4 seconds. These factors combine to mark out the e-up! as the perfect car for the urban environment.

The e-up! continues to push the boundaries of modern technology when it comes to connectivity.  The driver’s smartphone docks into the centre console to become an integral part of the driving experience and integrating seamlessly into the car’s infotainment system. 

The Volkswagen app, meanwhile, enables the driver to play music via the smartphone.  They can also access the navigation system and run Think Blue. Trainer, Volkswagen’s fun program that coaches the driver in efficient driving techniques.

The smartphone connection continues when the driver is out of the car.  Volkswagen’s Car-Net e-remote enables the driver to control the e-up!’s charging process remotely from their smartphone.  

They can also switch on the air conditioning before they get into the car, and can review their driving data and vehicle trip statistics.  A three-year subscription to this service is included with the e-up!

The award-winning Volkswagen is available exclusively as a five-door in pure electric form, and is loaded with equipment.  Included are 15-inch ‘Tezzle’ alloy wheels with low rolling resistance tyres.  

The glass is tinted from the B-pillar backwards, and the re-styled front bumper has trademark ‘C’ signature LED running lights.  The interior now features chromed door handles, air vent surrounds, speedo surrounds and light and heating switches.

The three-spoke steering wheel is trimmed in leather, as is the gear knob gaiter and handbrake grip.  The upper dashpad has a distinctive ‘Sharkskin’ pattern.  

The front lights will stay on for a short period of time, to enable the driver to see their way to their front door, while other standard-fit equipment items include cruise control and a dusk sensor that turns the driving lights on automatically – particularly useful through the winter months.  

Rear parking sensors further aid convenience, too.

The judges of the Next Green Car Awards were suitably impressed by the new e-up!: “Already one of the best city cars around, Volkswagen has made its e-up! even better with sharper looks and improved equipment.  

Fun to drive, cheap to run, and with zero tailpipe emissions, the little Volkswagen is an ideal urban runabout.”

The New e-Up! is available to order from today, with improved range, better interior and more tech, it's one to consider.

• New e-up! is available to order at Volkswagen Retailers from today
• All-electric, zero emission, city car supports Volkswagen’s e-mobility strategy
• Stylish, practical new e-up! is priced at £20,780 (RRP OTR, incl. government grant)

Volkswagen’s highly praised new up! city car is now available to order in all-electric form as the new e-up! four seater joins the refreshed up! range in the UK.

Expanding on the extensive appeal of the new up!, which has already been roundly praised for its style, versatility and quality, the new e-up! builds on the standard car’s accomplished packaging with a zero emission solution.

With its 82 PS electric motor the e-up! boasts a peak torque figure of 210 Nm, equating to a brisk 0-62 mph time of 12.4 seconds and it will keep on going, where the law permits, to 80 mph.  The car boasts a maximum range of around 93 miles between charges.

This e-up!’s power derives from a lithium-ion battery pack located within the car’s floor and consisting of 204 cells, together rated at 374 volts and 18.7 kWh. 

The motor is mated to a single-speed gearbox that is optimised for minimum friction.  The driveline is particularly quiet and compact as a result of the electric motor and the gearbox being integrated with very high quality intermeshing inside a single housing.

The battery weighs 230 kg but, despite this, the e-up! still weighs less than its internal combustion engined sibling, tipping the scales at 1,139 kg thanks to Volkswagen engineers’ extensive weight-saving measures.  

The necessary variety of charging cables includes a fast charge connection which allows for up to 80 per cent of the battery’s capacity to be replenished in just 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, a full charge from a standard household plug takes nine hours.  

Customers can purchase an optional wall box for home garage use, which provides a 3.6 kW supply and can recharge a battery in six hours. 

Zero emission electric drive doesn’t mean compromising on comfort or convenience, either.  A strong line-up of factory-fitted equipment includes electronic air conditioning as standard, as well as cruise control and parking sensors.  

The windscreen wipers function automatically, and when the sun goes down a dusk sensor automatically activates the headlights. 

The new e-up! is available as a five-door, and fresh styling includes beefier front bumpers which house unique ‘C’ signature LED running lights that make the e-up! stand out from the crowd.  

At the rear, a more angular bumper includes a prominent diffuser panel alongside a sharper tail light design.  The interior of the new e-up! features a leather-trimmed steering wheel, while chrome-trimmed interior door handles, air vent surrounds and instruments add a finishing flourish. 

The new e-up! scores highly when it comes to bringing the online world into the cabin.  Like the new up! it features an innovative smartphone docking station which enables the driver’s phone to be turned into the car’s infotainment system.  

Simply click the smartphone into the ‘Maps + More’ docking system on the centre console to unlock a host of features via the Volkswagen app. 

The smartphone can be used to select and play music, or as a navigation system.  It can even display key data from the e-up!’s systems and tips from the Volkswagen Think Blue. Trainer - which coaches a driver in efficient driving techniques.

The smartphone connection is extended in the new e-up! thanks to Volkswagen’s Car-Net e-remote.  This gives the driver the power to manage the car’s charging process from their smartphone via the Volkswagen e-up! app.  

They can also use the app to switch on their e-up!’s air conditioning remotely before getting in and review vehicle trip statistics, too.  A three-year subscription to the Car-Net e-remote service is included with the new e-up!.

The new e-up! is priced at £20,780 (RRP OTR) including the Government Plug-in Car Grant of £4,500.  Deliveries are expected to begin in October and the e-up! comes with a standard three-year warranty.  

The vehicle’s battery comes with an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty, while the standard service interval is 20,000 miles or two years.

Currently, the e-up! is available from £275* per month via Volkswagen’s e-Solutions Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) scheme, with a £900 deposit contribution.  The deal is based on 6.4% APR representative, with full details available from Volkswagen Retailers.

The latest e-up! is a continuation of Volkswagen’s long history of electric mobility provision.  The first electric Golf, for instance, was launched fully 40 years ago, in 1976, badged as the CityStromer. Around 100 examples were built. 

Now the e-up! joins the all-electric e-Golf in Volkswagen’s line-up of plug-in cars.  The Volkswagen range also includes the award-winning petrol-electric hybrid Golf GTE and Passat GTE models.  

These four cars represent the start of a significant acceleration toward electro-mobility for Volkswagen.  

The German manufacturer has stated, via its recently announced TOGETHER – Strategy 2025 programme, that it will introduce 30 additional electric or plug-in hybrid models by 2025.  And by that year Volkswagen expects purely battery-powered electric vehicles to account for a quarter of the global passenger car market.

World premiere of the new Volkswagen up! at the 86th Geneva International Motor Show.

Outstanding new engine, more individualisation, smartphone integration

World premiere of the new Volkswagen up! at the Geneva Motor Show

The up! TSI with a new 90 PS turbo engine and agile driving characteristics.

• New up! beats with a 300 W BeatsAudio^™ sound system
• Ten key facts – the new up! in keywords
• Added dynamism and individuality: Volkswagen comprehensively upgrades its successful city specialist.
• More power: New 90 PS TSI engine is on a par with the performance of the first Golf GTI, but with a fuel consumption of just 4.4 l/100 km.
• New look: The up! comes with new bumpers, a new rear diffuser, door mirrors with integrated indicator lights, new headlights with LED daytime running lights, and new rear lights.
• The right up! for everyone: Extensive customisation with 13 body colours, three roof colours, and ten dashpad designs.
• Improved networking: New Composition Phone radio system and smartphone integration for ultimate connectivity.
• More sound: Volkswagen is also presenting the new up! beats with a 300 W sound system – powered by BeatsAudio^™.
• A perfect environment: New Climatronic with Pure Air system.
• Cool background lighting design in the interior: New ambient lighting in white (high up!), orange (cross up!) or in blue (e-up!).
• Ready to go: New up! will be available in late summer 2016.
• More value for money: The base price of the new up! will remain at the level of its predecessor, with higher specifications.

In brief – the world premiere of the latest up!

The smallest Volkswagen is becoming yet more colourful and sharper still. 

Late this summer the second series of the up! will be launched in Europe – with newly designed body panels, new colours, new wheels, new individualisation options, new equipment, a completely redesigned interior, a new infotainment system and an outstanding new engine that offers a significant boost in performance and torque. Volkswagen is presenting the new version of the up! to the public for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show. 

The up! has been one of Europe’s most successful small cars for five years. In countries such as Germany and the Netherlands it is the number 1 in its segment. However, the up! has also enjoyed great success outside Europe, with strong performance in markets such as Brazil, Japan and South Africa.

New design and interior elements. Every version of the up! presented in Geneva will come with new headlights (with LED daytime running lights as standard), new bumpers, a prominent rear diffuser, newly designed tail lights, new exterior mirror housings with integrated indicator lights, new colours and décors for the dashpad (dashboard styling panel) as well as new seat designs. Just like the larger Volkswagens, the latest up! is now also available with the “Light and Sight” package (“Coming home” and “Leaving home” functions as well as rain sensors). Fog lamps will now also feature cornering lights. Volkswagen is also offering the up! with a multi-function steering wheel and Pure Air Climatronic (automatic air conditioning) for the first time. Pure Air includes an air quality sensor with an active biogenic filter that keeps the atmosphere in the cabin at a consistently high level and prevents pollutants, fungal spores or allergens from entering via the system.

New turbo engine. The outstanding new 1.0 TSI engine available in the new up! offers an efficient and engaging drive. This turbocharged direct petrol injection (TSI) delivers a powerful 66 kW/90 PS. The maximum torque of 160 Nm is available from 1,500 rpm. The three-cylinder engine is the first turbo for the up! and the most powerful motor available in the model to date. It delivers truly dynamic performance with a top speed of 185 km/h, and takes just 10 seconds to accelerate to 100 km/h. This up! even strives to match the driving performance of the first Golf GTI. Its dynamism is paired with high efficiency: 4.4 l/100 km (equating to 102 g/km CO₂*/*forecast value) mean that the up! 1.0 TSI can cover up to 800 km on a single tank of fuel. The sporting nature of the most powerful new up! is emphasised by the visible exhaust pipe.

New smartphone integration. Another innovation in the new up! is its smartphone integration. Just connect the smartphone above the dashpad, pair via Bluetooth and it becomes an infotainment system with navigation system and on-board computer functions, thanks to the Volkswagen app.

New up! beats with a 300 W sound system Coinciding with the market launch of the new up!, Volkswagen is offering a new equipment version: the up! beats. This is a car whose overall concept is defined by sound because it comes with a 300 W sound system – from the American audio specialists BeatsAudio^™ as standard. In this case, smartphone integration also comes as standard.

As you like it – the up! offers a new level of customisation

More colours and décor. The up! is a dynamic little car that makes mobility fun. With the new series, Volkswagen is putting the spotlight even more clearly on the individuality of each up! So the up! presented in Geneva comes with a choice of 13 body colours, 9 exterior decals, ten new dashpad designs, three roof colours, three design packs, two colour packs and two basic colours for the interior trim (“Titanium Black” and “Ceramique”), coloured alloy wheels and individualised-colour ambient light available for the top-of-the-range models.

• Exterior colours. Of the 13 colours available, seven are new: “Teal Blue”, “Coral Red”, “Costa Azul” (blue), “Honey Yellow”, “Edelweiss” (white), “Blueberry” and “Savanna Gold”.
• Dashpad designs. Depending on the body colour, interior trim and model, up! buyers can choose from a selection of ten new dashpad designs, using an innovative labelling process that allows an even greater degree of customisation.

More engines. Previously the range of engines comprised two three-cylinder units with multi-point injection (MPI) that deliver 44 kW/60 PS or 55 kW/75 PS. This duo of 1.0 litre petrol engines has now been augmented by the sporty new 1.0 TSI (66 kW/90 PS). As a zero-emission vehicle, the e-up! cruises through the city (60 kW/82 PS). Drivers who prefer natural gas can still opt for the eco up! (50 kW/68 PS).

More standard equipment. A total of seven trim levels are available: take up!, move up!, high up! and eco up! (all of which are available as two- and four-door versions) as well as the load up!, cross up! and e-up! (each available as a four-door version). An overview of the vehicle equipment upgrades:

• take up! In future, the base version take up! will come with features such as LED daytime running lights, LED licence plate lighting, door mirror casings with integrated indicators, a chrome trim strip between the headlights as well as remote-controlled central locking. The gloss black application on the centre console (with heating and ventilation controls; plus optional climate controls and radio) is framed by a narrow chrome strip.
• move up! In contrast to the first series, the move up! is the first model in the revised range to feature the newly developed “Composition” radio system, a USB port, an enlarged multi-function display and a customised “Black Cube” design dashpad as standard.
• high up! In the high up! the additional features include a newly developed ambient lighting system (white), a customised dashpad (with a choice of three versions of the “Pixels” design), heated front seats, a multifunction steering wheel, six loudspeakers, fog lamps with integrated static cornering lights and the new 15-inch “Radial” alloy wheels. Air conditioning still comes as standard.
• cross up! New features on board the all-terrain version cross up! are the “cross-look” dashpad and ambient lighting (orange).
• e-up!. The new e-up! is characterised by the new “Shark Skin” design dashpad and ambient lighting (blue), a light and rain sensor as well as the new smartphone integration feature.

More equipment packages. Volkswagen is also offering three new roof packs designed to match the paint schemes – including roofs painted in contrasting black, white or grey as well as contrasting colour door mirror caps and tinted rear windows. Other additions to the range are three design packs, including a dashpad, design decals for the exterior, and contrasting door mirror caps. 

The range of equipment packages is rounded off by the colour packs, with the up! being given a final eye-catching flourish – along with the contrasting colours “Hot Orange” or “Gold Beige” – with 16-inch alloy wheels, design decals for the body and matching door mirror caps.

New up! beats – perfect sound, powered by beats

300 watts from Dr. Dre. The American audio specialist Beats Electronics – founded in 2008 by the rapper Dr. Dre – made a big impact on the music scene, primarily with its headphones. 

Now the Californian company also offers a wide range of other technologies, including full in-car sound systems. Volkswagen is unveiling these BeatsAudio^™ sound systems for the first time at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show in the Polo and in the new up!. 

In the case of this city specialist, this results in a completely new equipment version: the up! beats. The sound system’s 300-watt and 8-channel amplifier is fitted with a digital signal processor (DSP). 

To ensure crystal-clear sound, the system has seven high-end loudspeakers distributed around the interior: two tweeters in the A-pillars, two woofers in the front doors, two broadband loudspeakers in the back as well as a subwoofer integrated in the spare wheel well, which delivers powerful, punching bass tones.

• up! beats equipment. The up! beats also has added customised flair thanks to the new 15-inch alloy wheels, special beats design decals and contrasting colour door mirror caps. In the interior, an individual dashpad, a special door sill plate as well as colour-coordinated seat belts to match the new equipment version give the car a very distinctive look. The up! beats also comes with smartphone integration and ambient lighting (white) as standard.

New infotainment concept – transform your smartphone into an infotainment system

Two new radio systems. Volkswagen has given smartphone integration a complete make-over. 

A new infotainment generation has been developed: the Composition system, with a 3.1-inch monochrome display, and the top-of-the-range Composition Phone system with a 5.0-inch colour display. Both of the systems feature a twin tuner, AUX IN connection and SD card slot. The base system also has a CD player, while Composition Phone has a Bluetooth interface with hands-free function. 

The Composition Phone system also offers a rear view camera, available for the first time in the up! As an option, both of the systems can be supplemented by a DAB+ (digital radio receiver), the Sound Plus package (with six loudspeakers) as well as a USB port (in the centre console). 

The Composition Phone system is also available with the new smartphone integration feature and the BeatsAudio^™ sound system.

Smartphone integration. “Maps + More dock” can be used to integrate current smartphones, running either Apple or Android, into the Composition Phone’s control system, simply by connecting the smartphone above the centre console and pairing it with the radio system via Bluetooth. 

The Volkswagen app “Maps + More dock” can now be used to run “Navigation” (offline navigation without roaming costs, 2D or 3D map mode), “MFA” (multi-function display with vehicle data), “Phone” (with hands-free kit), “Think Blue. Trainer.” (energy-saving tips), “E-charging Manager” (in the e-up), “Car Function” (various vehicle functions), “Media Control” (access to music details, display title, artist and cover, search function with handwriting recognition) and “Radio Control” (selection of FM, AM or DAB+; display, search and save radio stations). 

The smartphone integration system also includes a USB port that can be used to transfer data or for charging.