GROWING up! - VOLKSWAGEN'S SMALL CAR FAMILY EXPANDS AT 2012 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW

Thanks to the excellent work of the international communication team at VW AG in Wolfsburg and at Volkswagen Middle East in Dubai, I had the chance to test-drive some of the finest and most interesting cars available these days on the international markets, such as the VW CC and the Passat Alltrack which surely belong to the �finest’ cars.

One of the most �interesting’ cars is for sure the smaller Volkswagen up! A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to get a short driving impression of the promising VW up! 3-doors. And in a few days I shall be able to test-drive the more practical VW up! 5-doors, which will surely finds lots of fans in the Middle East and Egypt.

In the meantime Volkswagen AG is planning to enlarge the new up! model range, with the unveiling of four up! design studies at the Geneva Motor Show next week, each of which shows the versatility and potential of the cleverly compact new Volkswagen city car.


The up! is as versatile as a Swiss Army Knife, so what better tribute to the host country of the Geneva Motor Show than the swiss up! concept. Inside and out the swiss up! reflects the colours of the Swiss flag, with Tornado Red paintwork, white mirror housings, a white dashboard facia and red bezels around the air vents. A leather band across the back of each front seat is provided for storing the eponymous pocket knife.

Next up (or rather next up!) is the winter up!, which is based on the cross up! concept first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2011. With snowboards on the roof and cool Pure White and Malibu Blue paint, this concept is all set for the ski slopes. The raised ride height and underbody protection create a rugged look, while the low weight of the up!, along with front-wheel drive and ESP with electronic differential lock, make it surprisingly agile in slippery conditions.

Like the swiss up!, the x up! is based on the cross up!, but this time equipped for night-time expeditions, thanks to a roof box that comes with built-in searchlights. Burnt Orange exterior paint is complemented on the inside by two-tone door inserts and hand-sewn up! logos.

Lastly, there’s the cargo up! concept, which shows how you can load up the up! for city deliveries, with a huge 1,400-litre or 426kg payload. Underbody protection and a raised ride height allow the cargo up! to tackle pot-holed city streets, while the rear seats have been removed to create a flat load area. A bulkhead with the upper half made from Plexiglas separates cargo from driver, while the rear and rear side windows are body-coloured, keeping cargo safe from prying eyes while still allowing the driver to see through them.

I think the engineers at Volkswagen AG should also consider a Rally up! version for the fans of dunes and off-roading in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Stay tuned for more interesting test-drives from Volkswagen soon here on autoarabia.org !

Mohamed Sheta
02.03.2012
Wolfsburg - Geneva - Dubai