Summary
The smallest and cheapest member of Volkswagen’s performance-focused GTI family, the Volkswagen Up GTI was a compact hot hatch based on the Up city car. Although the regular Up models arrived back in 2012, the GTI version didn’t join the range until the middle of 2017.
The only model to be available with a six-speed manual gearbox across the Volkswagen Up range, this small hot hatch was powered by a three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that produced 115hp, which meant that the Up GTI couldn’t muster the power to match its closest rivals; the 129hp Suzuki Swift Sport and the 145hp Abarth 595.
However, UK reviewers conclusively agreed that less power didn’t not mean less fun behind the wheel. Honest John concluded that the Up GTI “provides genuine laugh out loud fun, thanks to its miniscule weight, playful handling and zesty turbocharged 1.0-litre engine.”
“The Volkswagen Up GTI midget is a light, darty, chuckable, fizzy riot that growls like a baby Porsche”, explained The Sun. “It’s basically a four-seat go-kart that puts a stupid grin on my face every time I get behind the wheel.”
Car Keys commented that, while the Up GTI’s engine performance, power-to-weight ratio, agile handling and responsive gearbox culminated in a very fun driving experience, the hot hatch was an “impressively practical package”, like the city car it was based on. The Volkswagen Up GTI also won two separate awards that named it as the best value option on the market.
Despite its practicalities, the Up GTI was not the most spacious hatch on the market, while its three-star Euro NCAP rating was also off the pace of newer cars. Although the Up GTI was fitted with a DAB digital radio as standard, there was no option for a built-in navigation system. Instead, Volkswagen offered the ability to connect your smartphone for navigation and other functions.
No longer on sale, the Volkswagen Up GTI holds a Used Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 66%.
- Volkswagen Up (2012 to 2023) – Expert Rating
- More Volkswagen Expert Ratings, new car reviews, news and features
Up GTI highlights
- Punchy performance
- Responsive handling
- As practical as the regular Up
- Great value-for-money
Up GTI lowlights
- Infotainment system showing its age
- Sub-par safety rating
- Rigid ride is not the most comfortable
- Engine noise loud on motorways
Key specifications
Body style: Small three-door or five-door hot hatch
Engines: petrol
Price: From £17,190 on-road
Launched: Summer 2017
Last updated: Spring 2020
Ended production: Autumn 2023
Image gallery
Media reviews
Reviews, road tests and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
Auto Express
Score: 8 / 10
“The Volkswagen up! GTI is the antithesis of the bloated and overpowered performance cars that are almost unusable on UK roads. It provides proof that it’s possible to have fun while sticking to the speed limits.”
Read review
Business Car
Model reviewed:
Score: 8 / 10
“They may share a nameplate, but the Volkswagen Up GTI has about as much in common with the Golf GTI as Kim Jong-Un has with Kim Kardashian. Now we’ve cleared that up, what we can say is that the Up GTI is a proper hoot.”
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Car Keys
Model reviewed:
Score: 9 / 10
“The Volkswagen Up! GTI is a brilliant car. It combines perky performance, great handling and everyday usability in a small, yet impressively practical package. While it might not quite be the successor to the original Golf GTI, it’s definitely up there.”
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Carbuyer
Model reviewed:
Score: 7.8 / 10
“The Volkswagen Up GTI isn’t a thoroughbred performance car, but it has a strong engine and makes a fun, sporty and stylish runaround.”
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Carwow
Model reviewed:
Score: 7 / 10
“The Volkswagen Up GTI is a tiny hot hatch that’s loads of fun to drive, nippy enough to put a smile on your face and can even seat four – the engine can be a bit noisy on the motorway though.”
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Daily Mail
Model reviewed:
Score: 10 / 10
“It’s amazing what VW has achieved: 115hp, 200Nm of torque, a hugely efficient power-to-weight ratio and an incredible top speed of 126mph (Chris Evans)”
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Eurekar
Model reviewed:
“On the road, the Volkswagen Up! GTI delivers on all fronts. The six-speed gearbox is delightfully crisp and quick and the wide torque spread means you can get all the performance you want without having to over-rev the engine.”
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Evo
Model reviewed:
Score: 8 / 10
“It might be the entry-level car in Volkswagen’s GTI range, but the Up GTI has masses of charm.”
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Fleetworld
Model reviewed: Five-door hatch
Score: 8 / 10
“The up! GTI is enormous entertainment on a budget, yet back off the throttle and you get all the joys and economy of a small car, with the reassurance of big car performance.”
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Heycar
Model reviewed:
Score: 8 / 10
“It’s even better to look at than the regular Up, drives with a great deal of enthusiasm and doesn’t use a great deal more fuel in the process. It’s quite a bit more expensive than a 90hp regular Up, but it is a very appealing package if you can afford it.”
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Honest John
Model reviewed:
Score: 8 / 10
“The Volkswagen Up GTI is the cheapest route into a hot hatch and provides genuine laugh out loud fun, thanks to its miniscule weight, playful handling and zesty turbocharged 1.0-litre engine.”
Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed:
Score: 9.2 / 10
“Enormous fun on a budget, the Up GTI is one of the finest cars out there when it comes to pound-for-pound driving thrills. As is often the way, Volkswagen’s cheapest GTI model might just be one of its best. If not the best.”
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The Sun
Model reviewed:
“The Volkswagen Up GTI midget is a light, darty, chuckable, fizzy riot that growls like a baby Porsche. It’s basically a four-seat go-kart that puts a stupid grin on my face every time I get behind the wheel.”
Read review
The Sunday Times
Model reviewed:
“A power pup to make you sit up and beg.” (Jeremy Clarkson)
Read review
Top Gear
Score: 7 / 10
“You can tell it’s not had squillions spent developing it, but if you like hot hatches simple and scrappy, the Volkswagen Up! GTI is a little tonic.”
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Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
Overall score: 3 stars
Date tested: December 2019
Read the full Euro NCAP review
Adult protection: 81%
Child protection: 83%
Vulnerable road users: 46%
Safety assist: 55%
Notes on safety
The Volkswagen Up GTI shared its safety rating with the regular Up hatchback. The Up was initially given a five-star safety rating by Euro NCAP when it was first assessed, which was way back in 2011. However, it was reassessed in 2019 and downgraded to a three-star rating. It still provided competitive protection in the event of an accident, but no longer met the highest standards for avoiding an accident in the first place.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
Model tested: GTI 4×2 manual
Overall score: 4 stars
Date tested: February 2019
Read the full Green NCAP review
Energy Efficiency Index: 6.7 / 10
Notes on eco rating
The Volkswagen Up GTI achieved a four-star rating from Green NCAP after its emissons tests in 2019, but it must be noted that this test, while still valid, was conducted during Green NCAP’s pilot phase, and since then testing has become more rigorous, also now assessing cars for their greenhouse gas pollution.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of April 2024, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Volkswagen Up range to generate a reliability rating.
The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusive from extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Up, we’ll publish the score here.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
| Fuel consumption | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| Petrol models | 52 mpg | B | 51 – 53 mpg | B – B |
| CO₂ output | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| Petrol models | 124 g/km | A | 120 – 126 g/km | A – A |
| Insurance group | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| All models | 17 | A | 17 – 17 | A – A |
The Volkswagen Up GTI is a pretty affordable car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.
The fuel economy is very good, particularly when compared to other petrol-powered hot hatches, and its insurance premiums sit in the lower brackets too.
Awards
Trophies, prizes and awards that the Volkswagen Up GTI has received
2020
- The Sun Motor Awards – Best Value Car
2019
- The Sunday Times Motor Awards – Best Value Car
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Volkswagen Up GTI, you might also be interested in these alternatives
Ford Fiesta ST | Hyundai i20 N | Mini Hatch John Cooper Works | Renault Megane RS | Suzuki Swift Sport | Toyota GR Yaris | Volkswagen Polo GTI
- Volkswagen Up (2012 to 2023) – Expert Rating
- More Volkswagen Expert Ratings, new car reviews, news and features
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