Volkswagen unveils production Up! ahead of Frankfurt debut

The evolution of the car you see here dates back to the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show when Volkswagen unveiled the first Up! show car. Since then, it's been fine-tuned with a series of follow-up concepts. Four years later, we have the full details on the production car. 

Smaller than the Polo, the three-door Up! is the first of what is expected to be a wide range of small cars under the VW umbrella. As far as production models go, the finished product looks to be a faithful interpretation of the concept vehicles. It's characterized by the long-wheelbase, short-overhang form, measuring 2.42 meters from axle to axle inside a 3.54 meter shape. It's also nearly as tall as it is wide, maximizing interior volume.

That's what the Up! is all about, packing four passengers into an innovative cabin that includes such features as a Portable Infotainment Device, through which numerous functions are controlled and displayed, and Up! boxes that aim to streamline functionality in the small car with optional equipment like the kid box, city box and travel box.

Three trim levels will available when the car goes on sale in Europe this December: the basic Take Up!, the mid-level Move Up! and the top-spec High Up!, in addition to the Up! Black and Up! White launch models.

Buyers can choose between two 1.0-liter versions of Volkswagen's new three-cylinder gasoline engine family, rated at 59 and 74 horsepower, respectively. Natural gas and electric versions are also planned. The Up! pioneers new safety technology with the City Emergency Braking system that will stop the car from speeds below 29 km/h if it detects an imminent collision.