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Click above for a high-res gallery of the Volkswagen up! concept

European manufacturers seem to have been taken aback by the recent success of their microcars. Now that consumers have gotten a taste of what life is like when you're choosing between filling your tank or your stomach, industry insiders are predicting that the microcar category will only pick up steam. Daimler is sitting pretty with its smart brand, BMW is working on a city-spec Isetta revival, Toyota has responded with its diminutive iQ and VW went small with its Up! concept cars. But VeeDub's got even smaller ideas on its corporate mind, working on an smaller city car to slot below its already dinky Up! model.

Power for the city car will come from either a 1.2L four cylinder or an oil-burning three-pot. That gasoline engine is expected to feature cylinder cutoff technology so it can operate on just half of its allotment of pistons when full power isn't necessary. All of that adds up to an estimatged 117 miles per gallon. And naturally, an electric drivetrain is also in the works.

Current rumors indicate that the German automaker has given this new model priority status, working to get the car on UK roads by 2011. It all sounds good so far, minus the name: Chico. We're confident that they can think of something better.

[Source: Autocar]

VW microcar gets fast-track to production originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>volkswagenvolkswagen city carvolkswagen upvolkswagen up conceptVolkswagenCityCarVolkswagenUpVolkswagenUpConceptvwvw city carvw upvw up conceptVwCityCarVwUpVwUpConceptWed, 26 Nov 2008 12:59:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1383911/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/11/26/vw-microcar-gets-fast-track-to-production/1383911/article-detail.xml 1383911 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/07/db2007au01847_small_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/07/db2007au01847_small.jpg <![CDATA[Volkswagen developing car even smaller than up! with 117.6 mpg!]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/06/volkswagen-planning-a-car-even-smaller-than-the-up-with-117-6-m/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/06/volkswagen-planning-a-car-even-smaller-than-the-up-with-117-6-m/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/06/volkswagen-planning-a-car-even-smaller-than-the-up-with-117-6-m/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click above for high-res gallery of the VW up! Concept

In Fall of 2007, Volkswagen unveiled a series of three mini car concepts called the up!, Space up! and Space up! Blue. Apparently the German automaker has determined that the tiny "four seat" up! just isn't small enough and is planning an even smaller machine to take on the Smart ForTwo directly. The goal is to create a two-seater that can achieve a fuel consumption rating of 2 L/100 km or 117.6 mpg! According to Auto Motor und Sport, the smaller car will be based on the up! architecture with power coming from a 1.0L three-cylinder diesel making 50 hp. VW has been testing a two-cylinder engine, but is unlikely to go that route. A twin would have to work too hard to provide any mileage benefit, so the slightly larger engine is likely to find a home in the new car. The first of the up! models are expected to debut in 2010 with larger models, and now smaller ones, to follow. Thanks to Christian for the tip!

Gallery: VW up!


[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via German Car Blog]

Volkswagen developing car even smaller than up! with 117.6 mpg! originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above for high-res gallery of the Volkswagen up!

Audi has long been rumored to be developing an electric car and many of us concluded that it would be based on the A1 concept that the German automaker recently showed off at the Paris Motor Show. According to Audi board member Peter Schwarzenbauer, the electric car is indeed coming, though it will be based on the Volkswagen up! platform that's destined to carry the Lupo badge when it goes into production. Audi will need to work fast if it's going to catch BMW, its natural rival, which has already begun production of an electric version of the hugely popular MINI Cooper. For the Audi/VW offering, a battery pack will be mounted at the rear of the Lupo's platform, though we still have no indication of what type of battery will be used. What might the new car be named? Not sure, but we do know that A2 is available.

Gallery: VW up!


[Source: Autocar]

Audi confirms pure electric city car in the works originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you liked Volkswagen's Up! concept shown at Frankfurt earlier this week, we have some good news for you.

First, the head of VW, Martin Winterkorn, admitted the Up! was likely to see production in a few years. We like the sound of VW heading back to its rear-engined roots, and look forward to seeing how the company does with it.

Second and third, Winterkorn also says VW will have variations of the platform to show off at both the Tokyo Motor Show next month and, in November, at the Los Angeles show. What those might be, he didn't get into. Sedan? Wagon? Convertible? Hybrid? We'll know for sure within just a few weeks.

And if that's not enough good news for Up! fans, he also hinted at a possible fourth variation. No date was given for that car's intro, but Detroit in January would be a good guess.

[Source: The Car Connection]

More V-Dub Up! coming to Tokyo, LA originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 15 Sep 2007 19:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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