Volkswagen E-Up Review (2019)
Drivetrain aside, the e-Up is almost entirely familiar. The 81bhp, 155lb ft electric motor sits up front, while the 18.7kWh lithium ion battery pack weighs 230kg and lies in the floor, so the centre of gravity is lower than in a combustion engined car. There are no interior space compromises, and the interior fittings are near identical to standard, save for the charging and eco-orientated instrumentation. At the 2016 Paris Motorshow, Volkswagen lifted the lid on its revised e-Up, which gained a revised front bumper and grille, and rear light clusters, however the battery pack and its range remain the same. As ever, it is the on-the-move experience that sets an electric car apart. The silent progress is broken only by road noise and the instant torque is a revelation that does much to put the 12.4sec 0-62mph time to the back of your mind. As a result, the VW e-Up is a car that feels swift and special, so long as you are willing to reset your established values.
It鈥檚 a surprise, too, how little the additional weight impedes the car. At 1139kg all-in, it is far from light, but there are palpable benefits in ride quality. Handling, too, is reasonable, even if the suspicion is that the extra weight negates any benefits from the lowered centre of gravity. Only the steering disappoints, delivering virtually no feel, although VW is far from alone from facing that accusation in this field. VW says it has stolen a march on its opposition via its energy recovery system, which at first sounds daunting, but is quickly intuitive to use. There are also three driving modes - normal, eco and eco plus - which progressively reduce power and electrical systems depending on how energy minded you want to be. As with all cars, the e-Up's range depends on how you drive. Measured on the New European Drive Cycle, the new VW e-Up electric car has a theoretical range of 99 miles. However, wary of over-stating the case and being pilloried by stranded customers, VW revises that figure, suggesting that a more realistic expectation should be 75-103 miles in summer and 50-75 miles in winter. As for the standard equipment, the e-Up is well-endowned with alloy wheels, heated front seats, 5.0in colour screen and mobile phone mount to run the smartphone app, including Car Net, which includes a three-year subscription. There is also cruise control, automatic headlights, rear parking sensors and city emergency braking are all included in the package. The suitability of the e-Up to you depends on how you live your life. As ever, if you drive distances longer than its range, forget it. Likewise, you need to use it frequently to make the required running cost savings to compensate for the high purchase price.
However, there is much, much more to this hole than just finding short grass and it's never more evident once you see what's ahead of you on the approach. I fell victim to this hole on my first play, hitting left off the tee, going long on my approach then hitting my chip onto the green and over, down into that cavernous bunker. I'd eventually pick up in frustration! Thankfully, I'm a quick learner and played a long iron off the tee the second time around down the right side, which set up a straight-forward pitch into the length of the green and I'd make a satisfying birdie three. One of the great, natural short par fours in golf. It's visual overload and one of the prettier inland holes at Pacific Dunes. Par is a wonderful score here, as the green is one of the toughest to read on the entire course. I'd somehow make par!
The par four 9th features two different greensites, one lower left and the other, upper right. The tee shot is quite intimidating and features what must be the longest forced carry of the day over a multitude of sandy hazards to a blind fairway. Shots hit left may get the old "member's bounce" and tumble well down toward the lower green but you'll need to be much further right if you're playing to the upper green. Neat golf hole and the two green sites gave Doak two wildly different options for the 10th tee shot as well. The two green sites on the 9th offered Doak the opportunity to build two very different tee shots on the par three 10th, which are dictated by the pin placements of the day. The hole is stunning from both tees and make sure to get your camera out for this one! Similar to the wonderful 17th hole at Sand Hills, only with the ocean in full effect, sits the glorious 11th at Pacific Dunes. A little touch of poetry!
