(August 23, 2011) The first photos of the Volkswagen Up! have been released, ahead of the new small car making its debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September.
The tiny city car is set to go on sale in Europe in December.

VW offered no indication of how the Up! would be priced, nor any hint of whether it might come to the United States.

Further information and specifications may be announced during the Frankfurt show’s press days, Sept. 13 and 14.

The two-door four-seater is just under 140 inches long, with a wheelbase of 95 inches. By comparison, the Mini Cooper hardtop is about seven inches longer.

There are three versions for different budgets and needs: Take Up! is the entry-level car, Move Up! the comfort-oriented model and High Up! the top version.  At the car’s market launch, there will also be two models based on the High Up!: Up! black and Up! white.

VW’s smallest and cheapest model will have a three-cylinder engine, delivering as much as 75 horsepower, and be furnished with an emergency-brake function to avoid collisions at speeds of less than 18 mph. VW aims to introduce an electric-powered Up! by 2013, the carmaker has said.

The interior is as colorful as it is capacious, with either decor paint or body color (depending on the equipment line) used in the interior, including across the dashboard facia. The clean and well-organized layout of the interior of the Up! also offers clever details, fun styling and a level of quality that will enhance the market segment.

Along with the initial three-door model revealed, Volkswagen is also developing a five-door version of the Up! that is due to go on sale in Europe in 2012.

If the Up! comes to the U.S., competitors will include the Toyota IQ and the Fiat 500.

The Up! is being built in Bratislava, Slovakia.