Volkswagen Up 1.0 2020 UK first drive

Here we have the cheapest Volkswagen you can buy today. That also makes the Volkswagen Up 1.0 the most literal representation of a volkswagen – or people’s car – there is and therefore one of the most important models for the Wolfsburg company to get right.

When the Up first went on sale in the UK eight years ago, you could buy one for £7995. After a facelift in 2016 and now a mild update for the 2020 model year, introducing full WLTP compliance and a modest increase to the amount of standard safety kit, you can’t get one for less than £12,440. Or £12,840 if you want the inherently more practical five-door model, which seems a no-brainer.

You can’t save money by settling for a Skoda or Seat badge on your boxy little Bratislava-built city car any more, either – unless it’s an expensive electric one.

Inflation is partly to blame for that eye-catching price increase, of course, but of more relevance is the fact that today’s entry-level model (one shorn of a trim level name, having previously been known as the Take Up) is better equipped than it was back then.

New additions to the standard spec sheet include lane-keeping assistance, front and rear curtain airbags and a neatly designed smartphone cradle atop the dashboard to deal with your infotainment. After all, why add significantly to the price of a car by adding a touchscreen system when almost everyone will want to use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay anyway?

That’s in addition to the air conditioning, electric front windows (the rear pair still only pop out a few degrees) and alloy wheels – in this case, a particularly attractive 15in set (pricier models get 16in or, on the sporty Volkswagen Up GTI, 17in rims).

Excluding the electrically driven and tartan-trimmed versions of the Up, the 59bhp naturally aspirated 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine – with the automatic stop-start and unnoticeable regenerative braking functions together known as Bluemotion – is your only option. 

There used to be 74bhp and 89bhp versions of this thrummy motor further up the price list, but no more, presumably at least in part due to Volkswagen’s struggles with WLTP testing. It seems a shame that this was chosen to be the sole survivor of the trio, because it can be painfully slow.

Acceleration from 0-62mph takes 14.9sec, and that’s if you’ve got your foot to the floor and redlining it in every gear. So joining faster roads can be something of a struggle; it’s little wonder that the Up driver is particularly susceptible to bullying on the motorway.