Why Lease The Up Hatchback?
by: Alex BradleyAlex Bradley is a skilled writer and digital content specialist focusing on automotive and sports. He has a degree in Multimedia Journalism and previously worked for The Northern Quota as Head Sports Editor.
Volkswagen Up Hatchback Review 2023
The Volkswagen Up Hatchback is one of the most popular city cars on the market. It's available in a three or five-door set-up and has a practical interior and good on-the-road performance.
Rivals to the Volkswagen Up Hatchback include the Fiat 500 Hatchback, Hyundai i10, and Kia Picanto.
Our Volkswagen Up Hatchback review covers:
Volkswagen Up Hatchback Key Features
- Compact exterior with a minimalist front grille
- Practical interior with a well-built dashboard
- 251-litre boot
- Two petrol engines to choose from
- Five trim levels: Up, Black Edition, R Line, Beats, GTI
Volkswagen Up Hatchback Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Good on-the-road performance
- Well-built and practical interior
- Economical engines
Cons:
- Tech not as good as rivals
- Small boot
- Basic interior
Design, Practicality and Boot Space
Good things come in small packages… right? Well, this is certainly true for the Volkswagen Up Hatchback. Its compact design is complemented by a minimalist front grille that makes for an exterior that will look good when driving around a city.
City cars like the Up Hatchback focus on space optimisation rather than comfort, but even so, the Up Hatchback is pretty generous. Up front, there's plenty of leg and headroom for tall adults, and although it decreases a bit in the rear, two adults should still be able to get comfortable.
Boot space comes in at 251 litres for the Volkswagen Up Hatchback. All cars from the entry-level model get split-folding rear seats, extending boot space to an impressive 959 litres.
Interior and Trims
For the price you're paying for the Up Hatchback, the interior is seriously impressive. It comes standard with chrome trim surrounds and patterned dashboard plastics and feels very well put together. Of course, you don't get any premium materials like in the Fiat 500 Hatchback, but this is expected.
For technology, the Up Hatchback is basic. You get a 5.0-inch colour screen on the dashboard and a phone cradle on top, which can be used to mount your smartphone for navigation help. It comes with Bluetooth connectivity as standard, but that's about it. This falls way short of the infotainment system found in the Hyundai i10.
Five trims are available for the Up Hatchback: Up, Black Edition, R-Line, Beats, and GTI.
Up kick off the trims with 15-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, a height-adjustable three-spoke steering wheel, a 5.0-inch colour screen with Bluetooth telephone and audio connection, a smartphone navigation interface, a DAB radio, a manually controlled air conditioning system, and USB connectivity.
Black Edition comes with 16-inch black alloy wheels, tinted rear glass windows, a 'Black Cube' dash pad, and exterior mirror housings in contract colour.
R-Line adds to this with 16-inch alloy wheels, lowered sports suspension, and front fog lights with a static cornering function.
Beats comes with a Beats sound system with six speakers, a digital eight-channel amplifier, a subwoofer, and a 300W total power output.
GTI completes the line-up with 17-inch alloy wheels, sport suspension, unique GTI badging on the front wings, rear tailgate and front radiator grille, a GTI badge, a rear tailgate spoiler in gloss black, a GTI logo, and red contrast stitching on the steering wheel.
Power and Performance
Two petrol engines are available in the Up Hatchback, a 1.0-litre unit with 64bhp or a turbocharged unit with 113bhp exclusive to the GTI trim.
The entry-level 65PS unit comes with a top speed of 101mph and achieves 0-62mph in 15.6 seconds, meaning it's not going to offer much when you're driving on the motorway or planning to overtake. The main plus of this engine is its fuel economy of 54.3mpg, making it a good choice for new drivers who want to save money.
If you want more power, opt for the GTI trim, and you get a turbocharged 115bhp engine. It has a top speed of 112mph and achieves 0-62mph in 8.8 seconds. It's worth the money if you live in a rural area as you'll have the capabilities to overtake on a country road or motorway.
On the road, the Up Hatchback has superb handling. The steering is light enough to make low-speed inner-city manoeuvres pretty easy but weighs as you up the speed to give you confidence behind the wheel. It's undoubtedly one of the best-handling city cars, exceeding the Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto.
Its suspension is also pretty good, considering it's a small, basic city car. In a city, the Up Hatchback will have no issues tackling bumps in the road and potholes at low speed. This remains when you up the speed, but only if you're on the smallest wheels. The 17-inch wheels on the GTI trim firm up the ride quality, and you can feel bumps in the road.
Leasing vs Buying
Prices for the new Volkswagen Up Hatchback start from £14,090.00 OTR* or to lease from £187.07 per month.
Want to get behind the wheel of the Up Hatchback? Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is one of the UK's largest car leasing brokers and offers a range of leasing deals to suit your every need.
If you want more information on leasing, check out our comprehensive car leasing guides that address various topics, such as Personal Leasing and Family Leasing.
*' On the road' price correct at time of publication and includes one year's road fund license, DVLA first registration fee and number plate fee. Prices are subject to change, always check with your nearest retailer.
