BBC TopGear Magazine names up! GTI ‘Pocket Rocket of the Year’

Added: 30 November 2017

Heritage Volkswagen are excited to let you know that the forthcoming up! GTI has scooped the charismatic title of ‘Pocket Rocket of the Year’ from BBC TopGear Magazine.

Describing the soon-to-be-launched smallest member of the GTI family, the magazine’s experts said: “As unserious and playful a car as Volkswagen has made this decade”.

Created in part as a tribute to the iconic original Golf GTI, and coming 41 years after the first Golf GTI made its debut, the new up! GTI promises the same sense of driving fun as its famous forefather.

The up! GTI is a compact hot hatch that broadly follows the format of the original ‘hot’ Golf. The vehicle concept and power output of 115 PS put the up! GTI approximately in line with the Golf GTI Mk 1 launched in 1976, which had a power output of 110 PS.

The up! GTI pays further tribute to this icon with its compact dimensions, low weight, powerful engine, greater downforce on the rear axle, sport suspension and, of course, the typical insignia of a GTI including red stripes in the radiator grille, red brake calipers, ‘Clark’ tartan seat fabric and a unique wheel design.

The vital statistics for the new up! GTI read somewhat similarly to the stats of the Golf GTI Mk 1, with a sub-one tonne weight figure (997 kg), a maximum speed of 122mph and a 0-62mph time of 8.8 seconds.

UK price and specification information will be announced closer to the car’s launch in early 2018, we will be sure to let you know once announced.

Meanwhile, the up! GTI remains in the running for What Car? magazine’s ‘Reader Award’ in the upcoming 2018 awards. The deadline for voting in that contest is 5pm on 4 December and the link to vote for the up! GTI is here: http://www.wcreaderaward.com/