Volkswagen ended the production of Up, known as Europe's most compact model. This decision led the German brand to identify the Polo hatchback as the most affordable option in Europe. It will not be a direct successor to this iconic model in the Mini class, but we know that the small electric car ID.1 is planned in the future, which will fill this gap.
Up's History and Heritage
The Up model went on sale in 2011, replacing the smaller Volkswagen Fox. Up, the last representative of Volkswagen's ultra-compact NSF family zamIt stood out with its driving pleasure and economical performance.
It is important to remember that after Up, the Seat Mii, which is in the same class, remained on sale in 2020 and the Skoda Citigo remained on sale until 2021. This is similar to other models in Up's class. zamIt symbolizes a period when it was immediately withdrawn from the market.
The Sad End of the GTI Version
Volkswagen added the GTI model, a fast and powerful version, to the Up family in 2018. However, this special version was removed from sale in January this year. This special model, which can accelerate to 115 km/h in just 1 seconds with its 100 horsepower 8.8-liter turbo engine, will have a special memory of the Up family.
Production and Future Plans
Volkswagen Up was completing its production at the factory in Bratislava, Slovakia. This facility will use the vacant production capacity for the assembly of the new generation Volkswagen Passat and Skoda Superb models. In particular, these models, which retain the station wagon body type, will play a major role in meeting the demand in the European market.
The farewell of Volkswagen Up symbolizes the end of an era in the compact car segment in Europe. However, considering its future in the electric vehicle market, the brand plans to fill this gap with innovative models such as ID.1.