Europe’s tiny Volkswagen Up! is getting some big changes at the 2016 Geneva auto show. The revisions to the Up!, which come nearly five years after the car was introduced at the Frankfurt auto show, include a new turbo engine, a visual make-over, and some extra options.
Visually, the refreshed Volkswagen Up! has new front and rear fascias, redesigned taillights, new headlights with standard LED running lights, and a new color palette comprising 13 body color and three roof colors. The cabin gets new options like an active air filtration system, a 300-watt BeatsAudio sound system, and a new smartphone dock atop the dashboard.
As before, buyers can pick between two- and four-door body styles. The trim level structure adopts funky names including Take Up!, Move Up!, High Up!, Cross Up!, and Load Up!
Under the hood, the Volkswagen Up! adds a new 1.0-liter turbocharged inline-three good for 88 hp, enough to send the lightweight car to 62 mph in 10.0 seconds, with a top speed of 115 mph. VW says the engine returns the equivalent of 53 mpg, allowing the Up! to travel 496 miles between fill-ups. The Up! will also offer non-turbo three-cylinder engines rated for 59 or 89 hp, as well as an all-electric e-Up! and a natural-gas-powered Eco Up!
