(January 23, 2012) Getting into Volkswagen’s award-winning up! city car is now easier than ever, with the introduction of the new five-door model. The five-door up! has many of the same virtues as its three-door sibling: a 95-inch long wheelbase that makes for impressive interior space, 8.85 cubic feet of cargo space, an efficient three-cylinder engine, new-to-the-class safety features and an innovative infotainment system.

Unfortunately, U.S. drivers will not be getting into either version as the little car is not sold in North America.



Rear passengers in the five-door up! benefit from exactly the same space as those in the three-door model, with 37.2 inches of headroom (versus 39 inches in the front) and 31 inches of legroom.  The rear seat base is set slightly higher than that in the front giving passengers a clearer view of the road ahead.

As well as 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), 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.  The up! has received a five-star rating and the Advanced Award from Euro NCAP, the European New Car Assessment Program.  It is the first vehicle in this class to receive these awards.

The Maps & More infotainment system is a mobile Personal Infotainment Device that was developed to organize 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 up starts at £7,995 ($12,424).