The Five Door Volkswagen up (2012)

The five door Volkswagen up is set to be launched in the UK in the 2nd half of 2012.

Size wise it is pretty much the same as the three door model rear passengers in the five-door up! have exactly the same space as those in the three-door model, with 947 mm of headroom (versus 993 mm in the front) and 789 mm of legroom.  The rear seat base is set slightly higher than that in the front, at 378 mm (versus 306 mm) giving passengers a clearer view of the road ahead.

It is powered by the same three-cylinder engine as it is sibling and features all the same standard safety equipment front and side airbags, ABS with Hydraulic Brake Assist, Isofix child seat preparation in the rear and standard ESP (on all but the entry-level Take up! model, it should be standard across the range), the up! can be ordered with an optional City Emergency Braking system.  This uses sensors to scan the space ahead of the vehicle, applying the brakes automatically if it detects that the car is about to hit an object in front, and costs from just £225.  The up! has received a five-star rating and the Advanced Award from Euro NCAP, the European New Car Assessment Programme.

.The Maps & More infotainment system is a mobile Personal Infotainment Device that was developed to organise navigation, telephone, information and entertainment.  It is removable, but unlike many other similar systems of this type, it melds with the car’s network of systems and can be used to view vehicle information, such as the display of the parking sensors (where fitted).  The system is standard on the High up! model and above, and optional on the rest of the range.

The three-door up! is available to order now, with prices starting at £7,995 (RRP OTR) and the first models arriving in showrooms in March 2012.