Volkswagen introduces four new Up! concepts, because we didn't have enough already

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show, Hatchback, Volkswagen

Swiss. Winter. X. Cargo.

Those are the names of the four new Up! models that Volkswagen has brought to the Geneva Motor Show, the latest expansion of the supermini that by now has more personalities than the United States of Tara.

You might think the Swiss Up! is named for the its Geneva debut location, but instead it's all about versatility, like a Swiss Army knife. We couldn't get a view inside the car, but the name association is taken to the extreme with knife holders on the backs of the front seats. How's that for practical?

The Cargo version is a bit more self-explanatory, turning the small car into a reasonable delivery vehicle that will carry 49 cubic-feet of goods. The X Up!, on the other hand, is designed for adventure, with searchlights and a roof box. The Winter Up! comes ready for the mountain slopes with snowboards on the roof and a higher ride height to clear icy hurdles.

None of these clever new concepts will be available when the first Up! model goes on sale in Europe this week, but they do show that VW is serious about thinking outside the standard econobox. The Swiss Up! is the snazzy red one pictured above, and you can see all four models in the galleries we've included from the show floor.

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Volkswagen introduces four new Up! concepts, because we didn't have enough already originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen bringing four Up! concepts to Geneva

Jeff Sabatini — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Budget, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, Volkswagen

The Up! supermini goes on sale in Europe in a few days, but Volkswagen has already been hard at work casting about for ideas to expand beyond the three-door model available at launch. A five-door will go on sale later this year, and VW showed a few Up! concepts last fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show. For Geneva next week, the cute little city car gets four new outfits: Swiss Up!, Winter Up!, X Up!, and Cargo Up!

The Swiss Up! is the red one, notable only in that the seat backs contain leather bands suitable for storing Swiss Army knives (seriously?). If you can't figure out which one is the Winter Up!, perhaps you need to move further away from the equator. It's based on the Cross Up! concept from Frankfurt, boasting the same higher ride height and underbody protection. Also based on the Cross Up! is the X Up! - that's the orange one with the lights on it. Perhaps the most intriguing is the Cargo Up!, which gave up its rear seats in favor of a 49 cubic-foot cargo hold capable of caring a 939-pound payload.

With three of four of these design studies having lifted bodies, it's pretty safe to say that VW is likely to launch the Cross Up! as the next model in the family after the GT Up! sportster. We're big fans of this tiny VW, so from where we sit, this is good news - the more models, the merrier. Though we do wish VW would consider offering an Up! on our side of the pond. Click past the jump to read the full press release.

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Volkswagen bringing four Up! concepts to Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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