Volkswagen reconsiders, will give the Up! a two-cylinder mill

A company has the right to change its mind, right?

Volkswagen, which said as recently as late 2010 that it wouldn't consider a two-cylinder engine for its Up! city car, is now doing just that.

The German automaker will add the option of a two-cylinder diesel engine to the Up as part of an effort to compete against the Fiat Panda TwinAir, UK's Autocar reports. VW's Ulrich Hackenberg added that the two-banger is compatible with larger platforms as well, bringing up all sorts of fuel-saving possibilities for Europe's biggest automaker.

Hackenberg, when interviewed by Autocar in late 2010, said the company would prefer getting the most efficiency out of its three-cylinder engines rather than going to a two-cylinder. VW's Michael Hinz said at the time that two-cylinder engines were too expensive and unrefined to consider for the Up!