The Volkswagen Up GTI delivers a huge amount of smiles per mile
The Volkswagen Up GTI is the star of the show this week
Volkswagen’s GTI badge has defined the German automaker’s performance lineup since 1976.
The nameplate came to represent excellent overall performance and dynamic capability and it continues to appear on the Volkswagen Golf and the smaller Volkswagen Polo to this day.
The most recent model to get the GTI badge, however, was the Volkswagen Up: the company’s smallest car, which excels in urban environments.
Under the hood is a small 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, producing 113bhp, with power sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.
While these details are hardly surprising, the Volkswagen Up GTI benefits from a turbocharger to help propel the car from 0-62mph in 8.8 seconds (we hit 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds when from our 2018 road test) and on a top speed of 119 mph.
It also acquired some design details typical of previous GTI models. Inside, there are matte chrome accents, a set of Jacara fabric tartan seats and a flat-bottomed three-spoke leather steering wheel. GTI branding appears on the gear knob and door sills, and each car gets a black roof.
There really aren’t many performance city cars that can match the charm of the Up GTI. In fact, we said in that original road test that the model is “as great and charming a car as any pint-sized ‘pocket rocket’ that has ever existed.”
Its combination of quality interior, driving dynamics, excellent design and good value for money makes the Up GTI a more compelling buy than many of its rivals, including the Abarth 595 based on the Fiat 500.
Prices for a new Up GTI started from £13,750 in 2018, but you’ll pay from £18,055 for a new one today. Its status as a potential future classic is reflected in the model’s solid residue on the used market.
Our used find is this 2018 car priced at £11,995. Don’t be too put off by its above-average 40,000 miles: it comes with a full service history and 12-month MOT. It also has Deep Black Pearl exterior paint – originally a £630 option.
Verdict: Take it
Cadillac Escalade
£16,500: Designed for the wide streets of American cities, the Cadillac Escalade SUV will always struggle with the narrower strips of tarmac in the UK. This example was imported to the UK in 2020 and has 38,000 miles under its wheels – and while that all-American V8 engine may please, the car is poorly packaged and oversized.
Verdict: Leave him
Peugeot RCZ
£6800: This distinctive Peugeot has a choice of two hard-hitting powertrains of 154hp and 267hp. The former is all you need and it can do 0-100 km/h in 8.4 seconds. Our find is a three-owner car priced at £6,800, justified by its sub-30,000 mileage. It also had a new timing belt recently, fitted at a Peugeot dealership.
Verdict: Take it
Proton Gen2
£2295: The Proton Gen 2 received one of Autocar’s worst road test scores, earning just one out of five stars. It was let down by a mediocre interior and poor ride quality, plus a selection of strained engines, such as the 110bhp 1.6-litre engine in this example, which will take you from 0-60mph. in 12 seconds.
Verdict: Leave him
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-06-16 23:01:23
