High-riding Volkswagen Up Crosses From Concept To Production

One of Volkswagen's quartet of Up-based 2012 Geneva concepts has made the transition to production reality this week, with the new Cross Up unveiled in Europe. 

Revealed ahead of its 2013 Geneva Motor Show premiere, the new Cross Up follows a recipe familiar to Volkswagen's European office: 1) take a regular model, 2) jack it up.

Like the CrossPolo, the Cross Up offers a higher vantage point thanks to its raised suspension setup, introducing a new compact SUV option for the European market. 

The usual exterior treatments apply here, including stick-on grey wheel flares and skirts, beefier bumpers, roof rails and relatively large 16-inch alloy wheels. In the cabin, there's tougher seat trims and touch surfaces, and light chrome garnish.

The Cross Up's powertrain is the same 1.0 litre three-cylinder that drives Australian models, paired with a five-speed manual transmission.

No other mechanical details have been revealed, and it remains unclear if the Cross Up has been given any systems for enhanced traction control. 

The new compact crossover is scheduled to hit Europe around mid-2013, but an Australian debut has yet to be confirmed. 

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