To show us how versatile its new Up entry-level hatch platform could be, Volkswagen showed off five concept vehicles based on the Up at the Frankfurt Motor Show earlier this week.
In VW's own words, this 'new small family' demonstrates how the Up family could develop in the coming years. Let's start with the most exciting one:
GT UP:
Right now the most powerful VW Up produces just 55kW but what if the company were to develop one that's more suited to Autobahn driving? That's the GT up. Weighing just 900kg, this affordable pocket rocket would have around 74kW on tap, according to Volkswagen.
E-UP:
This is a near-production version of the battery-powered Up that's set for launch in 2013. This electric city car gets some unique styling traits, like an 'arc' of LED daytime running lights in the front bumper and a chrome strip around the upper air intake to ensure your expensive little EV won't be mistaken for the far cheaper Ups.
ECO UP:
A stepping stone between the conventional Up and the aforementioned electric version is this 'eco' model that makes use of natural gas propulsion and BlueMotion technology, including an idle-stop system and battery regeneration. The Eco Up emits a hybrid-bashing 79g/km of CO2.
UP AZZURRA:
The 'Up Azzurra Sailing Team' (named after a yacht club on the Costa Smeralda) was penned by Italian designers Giorgetto Giugiaro and Walter de Silva, both of whom grew up in nautical environments. The concept car is essentially an open, small, eco-friendly car for the world's marinas.
CROSS UP:
The Cross Up not only gives us a good indication of how the four-door Up city car will look in terms of shape but also shows us how this version of the Up will look when it gets 'cross' - ie: dressed up to look like a 4x4.
BUGGER UP:
This version of the Up has been purposefully engineered to provide highly unreliable motoring in the hope that the car will attain a certain 'charm status' like that enjoyed by older Alfa Romeos. To achieve this, they took a 600cc motor and beefed it up to produce around 70kW via a racing cam and two high-boost turbochargers.
Of course, we're kidding about that last one. Are there any other Up variations that you'd like VW to concoct?