2007 Frankfurt Auto Show: Volkswagen up! Concept
- Looks like: A baby Rabbit
- Defining characteristics: A tiny car with the engine in the wrong place
- Ridiculous features: Light-up VW logo in back
- Chance of being mass-produced: For Europe, this could be a future city car; for the U.S. … VW will probably wait to see how the Smart ForTwo sells
Like in a Volkswagen Beetle, the engine sits behind the driver in this new concept from Volkswagen. The up! is a look at the future of city cars from VW, and we expect a real-life version could be under development. We’re a bit surprised the up! doesn’t feature VW’s now-trademark large black grille. The up! comes in at just 135 inches long — roughly the size of a Smart ForTwo — and can seat four people.
The three passenger seats can be removed, folded up and stored in the front trunk. There’s also an onboard computer that uses a touch-screen to control all climate control and entertainment functions. There’s a second display for the front passenger as well, in case he doesn’t agree with your current iPod selection.
The up! is a classic concept car — it’s not close to production-ready, but it’s a reasonable look for a VW city car that the company will need to develop. Take a look at more photos below and let us know if you’d give the up! a chance.
