Volkswagen Up! Confirmed For Australia

VOLKSWAGEN UP

Volkswagen's tiny Up! city car will make its way to Australia in the near future, the German carmaker's local arm has confirmed with TMR today.

Official dates for the Up!'s local debut have yet to be announced, although reports out of the Frankfurt Motor Show this week suggest a late 2012 launch is on the cards.

Revealed late last month ahead of its motorshow debut tomorrow, the arrival of the production-ready Up! comes four years after an almost-identical concept appeared at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Up! will initially be offered in Europe with a turbocharged and direct-injected 1.0 litre three-cylinder petrol engine, producing 44kW in standard form and 60kW in up-spec models - thanks to a little more boost pressure.

When it hits the Australian market, the Up! will compete with the diminutive Suzuki Alto, the Holden Barina Spark and the Nissan Micra.

Classified as light cars in Australia, these offerings are generally smaller than 'the usual suspects', such as the Toyota Yaris, the Suzuki Swift and Volkswagen's own Polo.

Pricing for the Australian-delivered Up! has also not been announced, but to compete with the Alto and not tread on the toes of the circa $16,000 Polo, the Up! will likely enter at around the $15,000 mark.