VW Up GTI (2019) Long-term Test Review
It鈥檚 one thing for a car to be great on a press launch. And it鈥檚 another thing to wow us over the six months or so of a magazine long-term test. But to stand up to the scrutiny of three hard-to-impress CAR readers - well, that鈥檚 something quite separate. The Up GTI certainly did hit the spot on that launch. It involved a combination of heavy traffic in Monaco and Nice, and some rally-spec roads nearby. It could have backfired horribly for a lesser car, but VW鈥檚 confidence was vindicated. This little three-pot cube of torque and tartan was brimming with pure driving pleasure, but could also cope just fine with congestion. And more recently, running an Up GTI as a long-term test car has provided twice-daily pleasure, and excelled on some longer journeys too. We know it鈥檚 not perfect, but it鈥檚 universally liked in the CAR office. Now, however, it鈥檚 time for the GTI to meet folk from outside the inner circle of the CAR team.
They are Lawrence Cheung, hot hatch owner and Japanese car fan; youthful classic-car enthusiast Aaron McKay; and walking VW Group encyclopaedia, dealer and modifier Andrew Chapple, the Volkswizard himself. Three interested parties with three differing outlooks. As the keeper of two heroic hot hatches (a current Ford Fiesta ST and Honda Civic Type R EP3), Lawrence sets the bar very high. Does the Up even register on his radar? A self-described 鈥榦ld car guy鈥?despite his youth, Aaron owns a Mk1 Ford Focus. Can spot a phoney at 1000 paces. Will the Up pass muster? Andrew Chapple, of VW sales-specialist Volkswizard, knows his hot VWs inside out and owns an Up GTI - but, intriguingly, is selling his. The powertrain immediately finds favour. McKay says that the 999cc turbocharged triple sounds quite exotic. 鈥業 like how it鈥檚 not just exhaust noise - there鈥檚 a bit of turbo whoosh and a bit of valvegear action. It makes you want to change gear more, just to play with the notes. There鈥檚 general agreement that the Up is pretty well proportioned: a wheel in each corner, boxy but not too tall. And it has the right sporty details.
鈥楾his is definitely the best colour for it,鈥?says Cheung. 鈥楶lus, I鈥檇 never seen one in three-door form until now. But the cabin could be better, even within the restrictions imposed by its size. McKay can鈥檛 abide the fat plastic dash cover: 鈥楾hat panel on the dashboard is probably the worst bit about the interior. My main negative about the Up GTI has always been its fidgety ride. 鈥業t just never feels tied down鈥? says Chapple. 鈥業t wasn鈥檛 quite as sharp as I thought it would be with a footprint this small,鈥?says Cheung. But McKay sees an upside: 鈥楾he Up is like a beginner鈥檚 GTI, and the lack of composure could be a good thing if it鈥檚 your first performance car. From his experience as an Up GTI owner, what would Chapple change? 鈥楳y advice would be to change the tyres straight away. VW鈥檚 eco tyres were a big mistake, but with WLTP emissions regulations coming in this was the first car that was tested. The engineers may have said 鈥渘ein鈥?but the bosses had no choice but to say 鈥渏a鈥欌€?
That鈥檚 exactly what鈥檚 sitting on the standard 17-inch 鈥極swald鈥?wheels of our car. Those wheels are a key feature of the package that turns an Up into an Up GTI, along with sports springs, bigger front brakes with red calipers, heated seats and black exterior detailing. Our car has 拢1175 of extras, including the combination of black roof and Tornado Red paint, the City Emergency Braking pack, automatic lights and wipers, Beats audio and the Cruise and Park pack. Why is Chapple in the process of selling his? It鈥檚 not because he hasn鈥檛 enjoyed owning it since May 2018. 鈥業鈥檓 moving house,鈥?he explains, 鈥榮o I鈥檓 going to be doing a lot more miles. So there are more negatives and more room for improvement than I鈥檇 figured out for myself. But our trio all really like the Up GTI and can鈥檛 suggest any showroom-fresh alternatives that provide similar performance and fun for the money. 鈥楩or less than 拢15k I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 anything new that comes anywhere close, let alone better,鈥?says McKay. 鈥楾hat鈥檚 midrange Nissan Micra money.
