Being swept along by a hugely popular product results in no less than amazing consumer delight and, usually, an intense following. On a purely personal note, I bought into the Golf GTi ideology almost from the outset…lightweight, agile, zesty and stylish. My left-hand-drive, Mark One, 1.6-litre, petrol-injected original (only sold that way for the first year) never felt less than worth every penny invested in its acquisition. If you are drawn to the Up! GTi, rest assured it is available in right-hand-drive form.
Like many buyers have discovered since, the generic GTi tag offers tremendous allure through its unique branding. Other carmakers have tried to introduce GTi-type models but they know that removing VW from its lofty pedestal is well-nigh impossible. Yet, the Golf has grown up considerably, through seven generations, so much so that it is not the mere spirit of the original Golf that inhabits the Up!’s soul.
In dimensional terms, the sportiest Up! is almost as large as the original Golf. It will transport 2+2 adults on its plaid patterned seats, with slivers of red trim implying the GTi design language, with the cherry-on-top provided by the iconic badge. Were the original Golf to launch as a GTi today, this is pretty much the charming shape and form that it would assume.
In the modern idiom, the Up! GTi benefits from Volkswagen’s development of its outstanding 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine, which now features a turbocharger that boosts its power to 112bhp (another replication of the original GTi), accompanied by 148lbs ft of torque that the original Golf only accessed in later versions. Thanks to the low kerbweight of the Up!, which tips the scales at a modest 1,070kgs, its performance envelope is startling.
Up! GTi scorches from 0-60mph in 8.5s (around 0.5s faster than the Golf), before topping out at an autobahn-friendly 122mph (10mph faster than the original), driving through a six-speed manual gearbox, with a 7-speed DSG automated-manual alternative available as an option. The first Golf GTi managed with a four-speed manual transmission. The engine emits just 110g/km CO2 but sips fuel at a wholly reasonable 58.9mpg (Official Combined), to make it extraordinarily low cost to operate. Factor in a price tag of £13,750 for the three-door version, adding a mere £400 for an extra pair of passenger doors…yes, the Up! GTi is also available as a five-door model…and its key benefit, apart from fun, is outstanding affordability.
Blessed with a simple but effective suspension system, the car’s overall stability is helped by its sportier set-up and a 15mm lower ride height than the standard item. Its 17-inch diameter alloy wheels fill the wheelarches, the disc brake set-up wearing shiny red callipers. A fractionally wider rim offset gifts the car with impressively engaging handling characteristics that will win it friends in town, or country, the virtually roll-free cornering stance and quick steering ensuring that Up! GTi is a game-player, when you want it to be.
Due to the car’s long wheelbase, the ride quality, while possessing a firm and sporting edge, is surprisingly comfortable and it is only sharp transverse ridges in the road surface that will be felt at the helm, although pothole avoidance must become a driver responsible trait to avoid inevitable ‘crashing’ and deviations from the steered line. Otherwise, bump absorption is excellent and makes the car feel very grown-up.
Whereas the standard Up! relied on its teensy details and Beetle-like stripped-out presence to captivate customers, an interesting side benefit being that it was an impressively rattle-free zone, the GTi version loses none of the taut build quality. The hard interior plastics remain but they are intrinsic to its character. The instrument nacelle ahead of the driver contains a large diameter speedometer, flanked by a rev-counter red-lined at a less-than-sporty 6,000rpm (it is the torque that counts in this car) and fuel gauge.
Instead of a regular body-coloured dashboard plank, a graded black-to-red moulding adds a classy touch, with the centre-stack topped by the usual removable but significantly upgraded PDA unit. The flat-bottomed steering wheel rim is wrapped in fine hide and features a familiar run of VW microswitches on its cross-spokes. Yet, apart from the beefier seats, it is all familiar Up! fayre and none the worse for it.
Connectivity, the current buzzword around the motor industry, is maintained with Bluetooth phone and audio linking, USB for iPod and a 4x20W, six-speaker stereo head unit. Heated seats and air-con provide creature comforts, with electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors ensuring that all-around vision remains at an acceptably high level.
While the Up! has always been a special little car, packing-in innumerable safety features (distance cruise and city-stop) into its compact dimensions, it has engendered a magical and utterly classless appeal to the lower end of the new car scene…much as did the original VW Golf, or the original Beetle. As such, despite broadening its product range immensely, VW has still been able to lean on its ‘people’s car’ remit with extreme confidence. The new GTi model serves only to bolster that image.
For three years, on a private lease, I operated the Skoda version of the Up! (with which it is almost identical) and I was impressed by its durability, mile-eating competence, tremendous frugality, outstanding space and sturdy build integrity. My only genuine desire was for a greater amount of poke, which the turbocharged version of the alluring three-cylinder,1.0-litre engine provides abundantly in GTi form. As VW’s response to the hot-shoe’s requests, the Up! GTi will gain its place with consummate ease and I can imagine that, whether in its red, white, black, or silver colour choices, most owners will keep their cars immaculate and in good fettle for many years.
