Road Test of the Year 2018: Volkswagen Up! GTI

You might not think that a tiny hatchback with just 113bhp could be scary, but I must admit it was with a bit of trepidation that I approached the VW Up! GTI. You see, the last time I’d driven one, it ended up being pulled out of the axle-deep gravel trap at the iconic Ascari race circuit.

A combination of a lack of sleep, a much faster Golf GTI in convoy behind me and a very angry German man yelling at me to speed up on a walkie-talkie in the cupholder meant that I pushed this tiny hatchback beyond my own limits and ended up a little bit off the track.

Just a little bit, mind you – no people or cars were harmed, and according to those following me it was quite the spectacle.

But today I was well rested, full of energy drink and in Wales – surrounded by winding roads, sharp bends and exactly the kind of terrain where a tiny hatchback is in its element.

And what a tiny hatchback this is. The standard VW Up! is already a brilliant little city car, and although the competition’s improved drastically since it launched in 2012 it’s still my personal favourite. That’s mostly down to the way it drives – it’s got sharp steering, great handling, and a beautifully balanced ride.

So adding a sporty GTI makeover, a peppy turbocharged engine and fettling the suspension can only make things better, right?

I’ll get on to that later. First, a bit of a history lesson. The original VW Golf GTI – the car that started the whole hot hatchback craze – was 3,705mm long and 1,628mm wide. It weighed in at 810kg and produced 108bhp from its 1.6-litre, four-cylinder engine.

The Up! GTI is 3,600mm long and 1,641mm wide, weighs 997kg and has 113bhp on offer from its 1.0-litre, three-cylinder engine.

So in terms of dimensions and power, the two cars are surprisingly similar, and it’s no surprise that Volkswagen’s trying to cash in on this.

Over seven generations, the Golf has morphed into an unrecognisably huge car – it’s over two feet longer, nearly eight inches wider and has nearly half a ton of additional weight.

And while the Golf is hugely accomplished, it’s come in for a fair bit of criticism as it’s matured – with many saying it’s become too safe, too predictable and too clinical.

The Up! GTI, then, has the job of capturing the spirit of the original car. It has to be practical, compact and easy to drive – all while being fun and, above all, characterful.

And boy, does it deliver.

First, there’s just how cute this car is. The standard Up! is a handsome city car but the GTI is simply adorable, wearing its ‘big boy’ wheels, lowered just enough to look purposeful, and blessed with abundant red styling lines – a hallmark of GTI models that sadly didn’t show up too well on our red test model.

The inside, too, is great fun. Tartan seats are another GTI icon and are present and correct, but it’s also got practicality in spades – remarkably usable back seats (for a city car) and a big boot are both massive ticks.

The real grin comes when you start it up, though. A 1.0-litre engine isn’t big, but VW’s added a ridiculous and mildly hilarious engine noise synthesiser to give it a throaty burble, developing into a rather wonderful shout as the revs climb.

The whole package makes you think that maybe, just maybe, the mission statement for VW’s engineers during the development of this car was ‘don’t take things too seriously’.

That philosophy extends to the driving dynamics too, which aren’t the most sophisticated – but definitely embody ‘fun’.

The car’s light weight, grippy tyres and wonderful handling make it eminently chuckable into the corners.

You have to be really going some to unstick this car – which is ideal, as the little engine isn’t really capable of daft speeds in the first place.

There is, however, enough power to have a lot of fun. 0-60mph may take a pedestrian 8.6 seconds but there’s grunt where you want it – plenty of punch in the middle of the rev range, only tailing off when you hit motorway speeds. Chasing the redline isn’t quite as satisfying, though, as it’s rather breathless at the top end.

Changing gear is a weak link, too. It’s not dreadful, but for a ‘performance’-orientated car, you’d hope for a slightly crisper shift action. As it is, the Up!’s gearshift is just a little vague, with a slightly longer throw than we think is necessary. The ride, however, is superb – it’s firm, but takes the edge off even the worst ruts in the road.

The real question is whether this car is truly deserving of a GTI badge.

The problem is, while the original spirit of the GTI has been captured, those three letters have come to embody a line of hugely dynamically accomplished cars.

Alongside the Polo GTI and Golf GTI, the Up! GTI feels out of its depth.

But take it for what it is – a hugely fun, very practical and characterful ‘warm’ hatchback – and it’s in a class of one. Add a tempting, sub-£15,000 price tag and there’s very little you can call this other than a massive bargain. We love it.