Volkswagen space up! Concept

STORY TOOLS
Print this	Save this	Digg this
Email this	Most popular	del.icio.us

What is it?
Volkswagen space up! Concept

What's special about it?
Other than the obvious excitement generated by the exclamation point in its name, the big news about the Volkswagen space up! concept is its rear-engine design. Largely a matter of meeting European regulations for pedestrian safety with a small, lightweight car, this configuration involves a whole new formula for space-efficiency. With no engine up front, the space up! concept is able to cram four seats and some decent cargo room into a very small package.

How small? Well, if you pulled up next to a Honda Fit, the space up! could be more than a foot shorter. The VW is also more than 2 inches narrower, although it doesn't look skinny thanks to 18-inch wheels and low-profile 50-series tires.

The space up! is another potential member of what Volkswagen calls its "new small family" of cars. This lineup of mini-vehicles will begin production by the end of the decade, starting with the up! concept coupe shown at the Frankfurt auto show.

Unlike the first up! concept, the space up! has four seats that adults can actually sit in. If you have two kids to schlep around, there are two integrated child seats in back. If you have no one taking up space, all three passenger seats can be removed to open up 35 cubic feet of cargo room.

Getting people and/or cargo in and out of the space up! should be easier than the up! coupe as the space up! has clamshell doors on each side. The rear cargo doors have a similar design, although they're split 33/66.

What's Edmunds' take?
Not the most original vehicle we've seen out of Volkswagen, but if it can follow through on its promise of iPod-like design with a low price, the up! family of small cars might even do well in the U.S. — Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor