Volkswagen Up! in Frankfurt
The Frankfurt’s Motor Show attracted a lot of car enthusiasts and car manufacturers, but it wasn’t the elegant sedans or luxurious sports cars that got the most attention. It was actually the new Volkswagen Up! concept car that became the star of the show.
It may be just a concept, but this ‘back-to-basics’ idea is very much in line for production as early as 2010.
Up! is based on a completely new platform and drivetrain. It measures just 3.45 meters in length. It also marks the comeback of the rear-engined layout like the one on the original Beetle more than 70 years ago.
The Up! concept was designed by a team headed by chief designer of the Volkswagen Group, Walter de Silva, and marks the launch of a fresh design direction for the company using simple features while retaining what de Silva calls ‘an instantly recognizable Volkswagen face’.
The rear of the Up! is a tailgate section made entirely out of a transparent material. In the center of it is a glowing Volkswagen roundel.
De Silva said at Frankfurt, “The Up! is not a car whose form will become obsolete within a very brief period of time. The Up! is a clear and strong statement for future Volkswagen design”.
There were considerable amount of challenges that faced the Volkswagen engineering team, led by director of concept development Ralf-Gerhard Willner. The Up! concept is primarily set to be the new family of small, extremely efficient vehicles.
The up! can be powered by a choice of compact two- or three-cylinder engines, depending on the specific market. Although there are still no details regarding the engine lineup, there are already many speculations about it.
One critic even discussed the possibility of a twin and triple-cylinder engine. According to him for this to be integrated and to fully work, a flat-twin unit is not possible. Instead, a horizontal parallel twin with a modular three-cylinder version is more promising and using air-cooling by way of ducting under the rear of the vehicle.
There are also some reports of a single-cylinder version of the car for emerging and third world markets offering outstanding fuel economy. Although even the likely 1.2-liter flagship triple should be able to manage better than three liters every 100km according to Volkswagen, with emissions figures in the 90g CO2/km area.
Despite its small stature, the Up! concept vehicle is capable of carrying four adults. Such interior capacity was made possible by pushing each of the four wheels as far into the corners as possible. This not only frees up space and reduces front and rear overhangs but also improves stability.
The need to maximize space continues to the car’s interior. Featuring inflatable bolsters for added comfort, each of the passenger seats can be folded and removed from the vehicle to maximize cargo capacity.
The Up! concept has a lot of features installed that will be enjoyed by the driver and the passengers. There is a software linked to a touch-sensitive screen that has the ability to sense specific hand movements of the user to configure numerous climate, entertainment and vehicle functions.
Mounted ahead of the driver, is a second screen that displays real-time information on the vehicle’s systems, as well as instant read-outs of the amount of CO2 being emitted.
Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Volkswagen’s board member with responsibility for technical development, commented, “For Volkswagen the response of Frankfurt Motor Show visitors will be a decisive test to determine whether the concept has the same kind of potential possessed by the Beetle at one time or by the Golf today.”
“Judging by comments from editors of more than half a dozen international automotive media outlets, including our own, we’d say the Up! could be yours in just a few years,” he then continued.