volkswagen up! and new small family concept cars

volkswagen up! and new small family concept cars

at the official release of its ‘up!’ mini coupe during the frankfurt motor show 2011, volkswagen presents six variant concepts, including the ‘up! azzurra sailing team’ model above

during the frankfurt motor show 2011, volkswagen inaugurates the release of its ‘up!‘ car with the ‘new small family’ (‘NSF’),  a series of concept models based on the vehicle’s design. the ‘NSF’ realizes a contemporary interest amongst car manufacturers to focus on diverse market segments by offering specifically designed variant models of a single vehicle.

measuring 3.5 meters long and 1.6 meters wide (11.5 x 5.2 feet), the four-seater ‘up!’ retains much of the design of the original 2007 concept, and the 2009 prototype covered by designboom here. the engine is offered with 59 or 74-horsepower and features bluemotion energy-saving technology with start-stop for a reported 67mpg with less than 100 g/km of CO2 emissions.

with three and five -door models planned for production and an electric version (the ‘e-up!’) anticipated for release in 2013, the NSF series of variant concepts on the mini coupe includes: the luxury open-top ‘up! azzurra sailing team’, the open-top ‘buggy up!’, the ‘cross up!’, high-performance ‘GT up!’ sport coupe, and natural gas ‘eco up!’, alongside the ‘e-up!’.

the ‘up! azzurra sailing team’ concept

up! azzurra sailing team created by italian designers giorgetto giugiaro and walter de silva, the ‘up! azzurra sailing team’ features an open chassis, lacking both doors and roof. the interior is designed to resemble that of a luxury yacht, including white leather seats and a mahogony dashboard with maple wood inlays.

profile view

top view of interior

the ‘buggy up!’ concept

buggy up! composed of lightweight steel, the two-seater ‘buggy up!’ lacks the C-pillars of the basic model, and is slightly longer and wider but significantly shorter in height (by 1.7, 1.2, and 7.4 inches respectively). its trunklid is divided into an upward-lifting main component and a lower, downward-folding segment that functions like a tailgate. designed for the beach, the interior of the vehicle is waterproof, featuring drains in the vehicle floor. an iPod dock with integrated loudspeakers can be used in the buggy or removed for use as an external sound system.

3/4 rear view, ‘buggy up!’

the ‘buggy up!’ on exhibition at frankfurt motor show 2011 image courtesy of autoblog

the ‘cross up!’ concept

cross up! the ‘cross up!’ blends the aesthetic styling of the volkswagen ‘cross’ models with the ‘up!’, in a four-door vehicle designed for urban travel.

3/4 rear view, ‘cross up!’

the ‘GT up!’ concept

GT up! the ‘GT up!’ features engines of up to 100 horsepower, with a rear spoiler and a reworked front bumper that includes a cooling air intake within a honeycomb grille. two cooling air intakes integrate wing-shaped LED daytime running lights, a double flow exhaust features two chrome tailpipes.

3/4 rear view, ‘GT up!’

the ‘e-up!’ concept

e-up! the zero-emissions volkswagen ‘e-up!’ features a 54-horsepower electric motor, capable of reaching a top speed of 84mph. located in the underbody of the vehicle, the 18 kWh battery enables driving distances of up to 80 miles on a single charge.

3/4 rear view, ‘e-up!’

the ‘eco up!’ on exhibition at the frankfurt motor show 2011 image courtesy of autoblog

eco up! modeled with an exterior similar to the original ‘up!’, the ‘eco up!’ concept combines a natural gas engine with bluemotion energy-saving technology to offer carbon emissions o 79g/km. two tanks have a combined capacity of the equivalent of 19 gallons, used to power a 1.0-liter three-cylinder 67-horsepower engine.

view of the ‘new small family’ of concept models

the basic ‘up!’ two-door is expected to be available in december 2011, with a three-door variant released in spring 2012. an ‘eco up!’ natural gas model without bluemotion technology is also planned for 2012, while ‘e-up!’ will be available in 2013.