It’s always sad to say goodbye to a model, especially those who, in one way or another, did things differently. Volkswagen has removed from its range the Volkswagen Up! GTI and although it is the chronicle of a death (more than) announced, it is difficult to assume that the urban German will no longer roar through the streets of the city.
A few years ago the three-door version disappeared and, Little by little, the Volkswagen Up! GTI ceased to be present in the markets where it was available. The alarms sounded when, a few days ago, the brand withdrew it from its catalog in several countries: a decision that, for now, only affects the sportier variant. The conventional and electric models will remain on sale.
Following this movement, the Volkswagen subsidiary in the Netherlands confirmed the news to topgear: the VW Up! GTI “can no longer be ordered and It will not return: at the international level either ”. Production has not ended because the German brand has to fulfill the orders placed, but it no longer appears in any configurator. Those who are interested in getting one of the last units will have to resort to existing stock.
An urban with a lot of spiciness
The VW Up! GTI was originally presented as a concept in 2016: two years later it went on sale. When it was withdrawn from the market in mid-2019, it received a small facelift that included new engine software with which it could comply with new emissions regulations. In 2020, Volkswagen released a slightly updated version with more equipment features.
For the VW Up! GTI chose a sportier chassis setup with a suspension lowered by 1.5 centimeters and a more aggressive body kit, which included side skirts, alloy wheels up to 17 inches, tinted windows, a small spoiler on the tailgate or a chrome exhaust, among others. The interior also emanated sportiness with the specific Red Pixel dashboard or special upholstery.
The most powerful version of the Volkswagen Up! Became the German Atomic Ant thanks to its 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbocharged engine that developed 115 hp and had a maximum torque of 200 Nm. Power was transmitted to the front axle exclusively through a six-speed manual gearbox and as it only weighed 1,070 kilos, it was capable of going from 0-100 km/h in 8.8 seconds. Its top speed was 196 km/h.
there will be no successor
There is no place on the Volkswagen roadmap for the successor to the Volkswagen Up! GTI and it is unlikely that the next Volkswagen ID.1 or ID.2 will feature a GTX variant more performance. The production version of the Cupra UrbanRebel prototype (much more powerful and all-electric) would be the closest thing to an indirect replacement.
The truth is that the Volkswagen Up! GTI was part of a run-down segment, where it struggled with rivals like the Renault Twingo GT or the Suzuki Swift Sport, which still survives and it is bigger. The same is true of the Hyundai i20 N, the Volkswagen Polo GTI, on which doubts hover, and the Ford Fiesta ST that will write the end point of its history in 2023.
