Volkswagen's latest addition to its collection of cars they won't sell to North Americans is the second generation Up! minicar. The redesigned 2016 Up! with the Napoleanic complex and mandatory exclamation in its name will be unveiled at the 2016 Geneva International Motor Show next week, but for those who will not be traveling to Switzerland next week here's a preview.
The 2016 Up! comes equipped with a 1.0-litre 74-hp turbocharged three-cylinder engine that goes zero-to-sixty in ten seconds. While that may not seem like much, it's actually an improvement over the 11.8 seconds it took the previous generation Up!, which was offered in 60- and 70-horsepower options. The new Up! will hypothetically get Europeans nearly 800 km on a single tank of gas.
Though modest under the hood, true to Volkswagen tradition, the diminutive Up! has plenty of personality to compensate for its shortcomings under the hood. Volkswagen has given the 2016 model some understated improvements to the styling, including "new headlights (with LED daytime running lights as standard), new bumpers, a prominent rear diffuser, newly designed taillights, new exterior mirror housings with integrated indicator lights, new colors and décor for the dashpad (dashboard styling panel) as well as new seat designs." The car tech will also be improved upon in the higher trim levels with new smartphone integration system and a five-inch display that, rear-view camera, as well as Bluetooth and USB audio integration.
Where the Up! earns some legitimate "cool" (do kids still say that?), is with the Up! Beats. This version includes all the above mentioned bells and whistles, but louder. Powered by 300 of Dr. Dre's watts, the Up! Beats features six speakers and a design interior that, according to Volkswagen, is "defined by sound." The 300 Beats Audio watts are distributed across two tweeters built into the pillars, two woofers in the doors, two more in the back and a sub integrated "in the spare wheel." Hopefully that doesn't mean that a flat tire will also leave you without the bass you paid for.
With all that said, unless you are looking for a cheap rental on your next trip to Europe, you will probably never drive Up! That's because in the land of affordable gas and hour-long commutes, buyers looking to drive a VW will likely not want anything less than a Golf.
