Volkswagen Up test drive! 3 doors since 2012 Hatchback
38 parrots
We ride Rome on the smallest VolkswagenI don't like walking. From them there is no letters and stopped boots. And for the sake of such a strange concern for my health, I can hardly give up a comfortable trip to the destination by car. But from any rule there are exceptions.
For example, when you find yourself in a foreign country, in an unfamiliar city, and of all navigation devices at hand, only such a non -modern thing as a paper card with sights indicated on it. And the attractions in Rome, where we came to the presentation of the smallest Volkswagen compact car VW Up! (This is how its name is written with a small letter and with an exclamation mark) a pond of a dime. Here at every step that neither a stone, then a historical monument, and in order to inspect them, they all had to spend seven hours of life and walk 21 kilometers!
Madness! This is about 5932 VW Up hatchback! (its length is only 3.54 meters), set in one row, a bumper in the bumper.
You rarely find large cars in Rome, and the main means of transportation here are scooters and small
On VW Up!, Who has not yet had time to become familiar on the streets, attention is often paid attention. True, mostly older people. For some reason, youth ignores the machine.
Parging the car in the center of Rome is almost unrealistic. Locals have to leave cars even on bridges, despite large fines.
At the presentation, of course, not thousands of APs were waiting for us at the presentation: on a tight street in the center of Rome, next to selling fashionable clothes of the glamorous gallery, a long row of hatchbacks lined up for every taste Black, red, white, with different levels of equipment and different engines . It is a pity that it will not be possible to travel to everyone to get acquainted with the smallest Volkswagen allotted only a couple of hours, and even on Friday, when the Roman movement in its randomness is not much inferior to Moscow.
We take with a colleague the most fried version of the White Up special version! With a top engine, a white insert in the front panel in the spirit of the Fiat 500, chrome hulls of the rear view mirrors and beautiful 16-inch wheels in retro-style. Live a little Volkswagen is just a charm. In a man-made funny and at the same time in Folkswagen’s strict car. Its design almost completely repeats the appearance of a prototype four years ago, which in a few years has not lost its originality at all.
Volkswagen Up! Baby. The car turned out 430 millimeters shorter, 40 millimeters already, 20 millimeters above the three -door Polo hatchback, despite the fact that the wheelbase decreased by only 50 millimeters! Therefore, the subcompactivity of the car is not felt at all inside: sitting in front do not touch each other's shoulders, their heads do not touch the ceiling, and the right passenger has a full of free legs.
This is VW Up! In the special version of White, which is painted white wherever possible.
Its unique details are white wheel wheels in retro-style, chrome rear-view mirrors, a white insert on the central console and White nameplate on the front doors.
And on the rear sofa, as we found out experimentally, adults will fit more than 1.8 meters. And they will feel quite comfortable. The only claim on their part is the lack of handles for which you can hold on. In general, AP is a full -fledged four -seater car! Although it, if you wish, get into the Guinness Book of Records, you can compact 16 people.
Thanks to a rather big wheeled base, designers are not coming to sacrifice the trunk for the sake of the spaciousness in the cabin. The volume of the luggage compartment having a double floor with an adjustable height is 251 liters. For comparison, the closest competitors VW Up! Fiat 500 and Citroen C1 (Peugeot 107) The trunk is noticeably smaller (185 and 199 liters, respectively). At the same time, in AP, with folded rear seats, the beneficial space for transporting goods will increase to an impressive size: 951 liters! The competitors never dreamed of this.
Interior
Volkswagen is accurately guessed in the interior, even if you close the nameplate on the steering wheel with your hand. However, there are few elements related to other brand models. AP has its own steering wheel, a combination of devices and deflectors of the ventilation system.
Another difference between White modification! - convenient pseudo -cooked seats with good lateral support, embroidered on the backs of the model logos and integrated head restraints. It is only a pity that the back of the back is adjusted step.
Behind - full -fledged places for two adult passengers. There is a cup holder, but there is not a single pen for which you can hold on.
But even despite the fact that our car with the most powerful engine and comfortable pseudo -cooked seats is one of the most expensive in the ruler, there is no soft plastic in the interior, the steering wheel is regulated only in height, there is not even an indicator of the headlights on on the dashboard, and with the head of the headlights, and with The driver's door can only be controlled by a driver's electric winding. Well, what did you want from a budget micro -lining? But the salon is assembled with high quality, nowhere is there naked metal, like on Citroen C1 or Peugeot 107 and indeed the APA salon turned out to be very pleasant and pretty.
The finishing materials are inexpensive, but it looks very good.
The steering wheel is regulated only in height.
Diesel? A passing by an elderly Italian is looking at our AP with interest. No, Signor, Benzina! COMPT KAROV UP! It is not expected in diesel fuel in the near future. The choice of engines and transmission is still small in three cylinder gasoline engines with a volume of one liter, developing 60 or 75 horsepower and five -speed mechanics. Although a gas 68-horsepower version of the same motor will appear a little later, and a version with a robot, an electric car and even charged UP! With a 100-horsepower engine.
But even with a liter motor, a small Volkswagen is very cheerful. For the city crowd, the dynamics are enough: to fit into the stream and get into the frantic rhythm of the eternal city is not a problem. And the main enemy of the APA is protracted climbs on which the engine rises quickly, forcing two gears.
The APA motor is still only one three -cylinder unit with a volume of 999 cubic centimeters, offered in two power variants of 60 and 75 horsepower. The maximum torque of both versions is the same 95 nm, available in the range of 3000-4300 revolutions per minute.
The APA body is 39.3 percent made of super -strength steels and 8.1 percent (including floor and central racks) from hot molding steels, which can reduce the weight of the body by 13 kilograms. The mass of APA 929 kilograms in the basic modification: compared with the Brazilian CD VW Fox, the predecessor of APA, the new car turned out to be easier than 140 kilograms.
VW Up! Built on a new modular platform, but the suspension scheme is traditional for subcompacts. In front of the racks Mcpherson, behind - a half -dependent beam.
But the mechanics are mediocre. The clutch pedal is not as long -lasting as some other Volkswagen models, and the vibrations on the lever is minimum, but the clarity of the switching is so -so (there were also problems with the inclusion of the first gear on our car), and the moves are too big. Well, at least the gear row allows not to work too often to work as a stirrean first ends 60 kilometers per hour, the second is 95.
On the highway, after a hundred kilometers per hour, the combat smell of a car, which he demonstrated in the city, disappears and the arrow climbs into the right side of the speedometer with great reluctance. And yet the driver does not create the feeling that the little car accelerates with his last strength: he goes to himself and rides
The portable multimedia system Maps + More can serve as a screens for navigation (by the way, the GPS menu and hints are translated into Russian) and display the data of the on -board computer.
But even 120-130 kilometers per hour, AP remains quiet. Not the flagship phaeton, of course, but with a passenger sitting in the back seat you can talk without raising your voice. And the suspension is excellent. Her work, even on an uneven road and pits, remains somewhere in the background of the bumps are overcome confidently and without unnecessary sound accompaniment. At the same time, the car does not swing and does not roll too much.
Delivered for acquaintance with the car for two hours flew instantly. On the way back, before going to the auto track, we came across a short segment of a winding path that goes up and down. Going on Ape is a continuous pleasure! An accurate chassis, a light, but very understandable steering wheel and lively, but not sharp reactions to the actions of the driver.
For the surcharge of VW Up! You can equip the City Emergency Bracking emergency braking system. It, using a laser sensor under the rear view mirror on the windshield, scans the space in front of the car at a distance of up to 10 meters. The system operates at a speed of 5 to 30 kilometers per hour and allows you to avoid an accident, if necessary, it can urgently brake up to a complete stop. At the same time, the City Emergency Braking will not take any action if the driver turns the steering wheel, presses the brake or clutch pedal.
Will the AP be a new icon of the brand as a beetle and golf once? And will AP take root in Europe? It seems to me that he has every chance. Volkswagen turned out one of the most balanced in terms of practicality, design and design, cars in this class. Perhaps, only Fiat 500 small, perky, cheerful, with a multifaceted character and a bunch of small details that I want to consider.
And the rivalry with Fiat 500, which already has an army of fans around the world, will be the most serious. But little Volkswagen has a large trump card is a price. In the basic configuration, the German low -profile costs in Europe from 9 thousand 850 euros, cheaper than all its competitors: Fiat 500 is sold for 11 thousand 400 euros, Citroen C1 costs 10 thousand, and Toyota IQ 12 thousand.
It is only a pity that in Russia VW Up! They are not going to sell yet. And all because such a car in our market as a large Polo sedan would cost. And in Europe and in Russia, completely different concepts of a folk car.
On the other hand, not everything is lost for us yet. Skoda plans to start sales in the Russian Federation of the overdated version of the APA under the name Citigo already in 2012. In August, the car will be shown at the International Motor Show in Moscow, and in September dealers will begin to accept orders. About Russian prices, of course, nothing is known yet, but in Europe Citigo will cost a little cheaper than APA. But Skoda will be or Volkswagen is not so important in principle. The main thing is that the car turned out good.
Start
Prototype VW Up! He was presented at the Frankfurt Motorshow in 2007. And if outwardly the car is almost no different from the current serial machine, then in technical terms, the concept was much more interesting. The main difference: the engine of the experimental APA was located not in front, but from behind like classic VW Beetle or Fiat 500 (and also in a hunchbacked Cossack). And he rotated the rear wheels.
True, few believed that such a layout would go into the series. Some time after the debut of the concept, it was announced that the designers had layout difficulties with the development of a serial car. The main problem was that when the motor is placed from behind, and the cooling system in the front, then an additional pipeline for the circulation of coolant would have to be laid under the cabin or under the bottom.
Another nuisance: the center of mass of the rear -engine APA would be strongly shifted back, which, with a short base, would create difficulties in refinementing and worsened the stability of the machine at high speeds.
As a result, the concern came to the conclusion that the traditional front -end front -wheel drive scheme is the best option. This decision made it possible not only to simplify the process of developing the machine and increase the volume of the trunk, but also to save, according to some sources, about 670 million euros.
Alternative
Citroen C1 is offered with one gasoline engine of one liter and a capacity of 68 horsepower. The engine is paired with five -speed mechanics or robot. In Russia, the prices for three -door modification start from 370 thousand rubles. The five -door option is more expensive for 33 thousand rubles.
The three -door Kia Picanto is 55 millimeters longer than VW Up!, But its wheelbase is 40 millimeters less than that of the German. Picanto is equipped with a 85-horsepower engine of 1.2 liters and costs at least 479 thousand 900 rubles in Russia.
Chevrolet Spark is 10 centimeters longer than Apa, but it also has a wheelbase less than Volkswagen by 45 millimeters. Spark is available in Russia with a 995-cow engine with a capacity of 68 horsepower. Prices for this car start from 379 thousand rubles.
Technical characteristics VW Up!
The type of engine is gasoline, three -cylinder
Working volume 999 cm
Max. Power, L.S. 60 and 75
Max. moment, nm/rpm 95/3000-4300
Type of drive front
Transmission 5 -speed mechanical
Front suspension Independent McPherson
Rear suspension half -dependent beam
Brakes Disc ventilated in front and drum in the back
Dimensions (DHSHHV), mm 354016411478
Wheel base, mm 2420
Equipped mass, kg 929
Max. Speed, km/hour 160 and 171
Acceleration 0-100 km/h, from 14.4 and 13.2
Fuel consumption (comb.), L/100 km 4.2 and 4.3
Fuel tank volume, l 35
Tire size from 165/70 r 14
Price in Europe from 9850 euros
Source: Motor magazine [November 2011]