Volkswagen e-Up - TopCarNews

Volkswagen e–Up! (2014 – present) | Expert Rating [hide]

Summary

The Volkswagen e-Up (styled as e-up!) is one of the older EVs available today, having been around in the UK since 2014 and undergone a major update in 2019. It was developed from the mainstream Up range, regarded by many reviewers as the best small car on the market.

The e-Up arrived in early 2014, two years after the original petrol Up. Newer versions have a far more efficient drivetrain than earlier models. An 82hp motor is now matched to a 32.2kWh battery producing an official range of 161 miles – further than the more recent Mini Electric and brand-new Honda e, both of which cost rather more than the VW.

Plus points include a charging socket where the fuel filler cap would normally be, a full recharge from a 7kW home wallbox taking around four hours. Reviewers point out the flaw in Volkswagen’s much trumpeted claim that a fast charger will add 80% to the battery in under an hour, as most rapid chargers are at motorway service areas and the e-Up more likely to be employed around town than eating up motorway miles.

The e-Up is like many EVs; quiet and refined on the road, but for a small car its handling is considered ponderous. Reviewers do like the extensive regenerative braking options though, helping to put charge back into the battery.

Despite equipment including two-zone air-conditioning, heated seats and a rear-view camera, the £23,000+ price of the e-Up!, even with a Government plug-in grant, earns criticism. The fit and finish is highlighted as tired compared to more recent rivals, while instead of a proper infotainment system drivers are expected to plug in their phone, the interior having not been significantly updated in the decade the car has been on sale.

As of December 2021, the Volkswagen e-Up has an Expert Rating of 63%, based on 18 reviews. This is some way behind the regular petrol Volkswagen Up, and also a few points the almost-identical SEAT Mii Electric.

e-Up highlights

Better battery range than some pricier rivals
Refined and quiet on the road
Generour reat-seat space and boot
Sensible placement of charging socket

e-Up lowlights

Expensive for a city car
Modest equipment levels
Uninspiring handling
Now dated against newer rivals

Key specifications

Body style: Small five-door hatchPowertrain: electric motor, battery-poweredPrice: From £24,085 on-road*
* includes £1,500 plug-in car grant

Launched: Winter 2013/14Last updated: Winter 2019/20
Replacement due: TBA

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Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Auto Express

Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 7 / 10“The Volkswagen e-up! is certainly more appealing given its vastly extended range.”
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Model reviewed: Score: 6 / 10“it won’t cost much to run, and makes sense for those who can charge it at home and at work. However, there’s little reason to buy one, simply because it’s extortionately expensive and has a frustratingly short range.”
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Autocar

Model reviewed: StyleScore: 8 / 10“Much of what the e-Up presents will be familiar; despite the modest tweaks inside and out it is a classy small car that manages to justify the premium price you pay for the (new) VW roundel on the nose.”
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Business Car

Model reviewed: Score: 7 / 10“Usual EV flaws but a good all-round, alternative fuel city car.”
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Car

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“Its dimensions and electric powertrain make it useful around town and it’s not out of its depth on the motorway, either.”
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Car Keys

Model reviewed: Score: 6 / 10“When you compare it to cars that are on par price-wise, the Volkswagen e-up! doesn’t quite stack up. There are more practical offerings available and the range isn’t as good as other electric cars on offer. It’s a good effort, but there are areas for improvement in upcoming versions.”
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Carbuyer

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“The Volkswagen e-up! is a well equipped and quick electric city car, but the price tag will put many people off.”
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Carwow

Score: 8 / 10“The Volkswagen e-Up is an all-electric version of the standard Up. It costs buttons to run and has decent performance in town. Alternatives have longer ranges, though.”
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Daily Mirror

Model reviewed: “The Volkswagen e-Up electric hatchback is expensive but may suit short-distance urban commuters.”
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Green Car Guide

Score: 7 / 10“The Volkswagen e-up! is primarily designed as a city car and the electric range of this new model has proven to be completely sufficient for a week of city driving. It’s better to drive in a city than a petrol-engined equivalent, both for the driver, and for anyone breathing in emissions of passing cars.”
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Honest John

Model reviewed: Score: 8 / 10“It’s easy to see why the Volkswagen Up works so well as an electric car. This is, after all, a car designed for city and urban use.”
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Motors.co.uk

Model reviewed: Score: 6 / 10“The Volkswagen e-Up! is pricey for what it is, and for most people, justifying the purchase of the electric version over its petrol counterpart is incredibly difficult. Even with the government’s electric car grant, you are looking at spending almost double what you would for a base petrol engine.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: Score: 9 / 10“Appealing electric city car now has a longer range.”
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The Sun

Model reviewed: “Great car, but faces a stiff challenge being so much more expensive than the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe.”
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The Telegraph

Model reviewed: Score: 8 / 10“Wonderful fun to drive and very well packaged, but too expensive and still not a viable only car for most people.”
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Top Gear

Model reviewed: Score: 8 / 10“The Volkswagen e-Up! is a superb, gimmick-free electric car. Try this before you go for that ID3.”
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What Car?

Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 6 / 10“The VW e-Up is great to drive, easy to park and comes with a decent, if not class-leading, electric range.”
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Which?

“The Volkswagen e-Up is surprisingly nippy to drive, and surprisingly easy too. Unfortunately, after being re-tested by Euro NCAP in 2019, it was found to be lacking compared to modern safety expectations and subsequently we’ve made it a DON’T BUY model.”
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Safety rating

Overall rating: 3 stars
Date tested: December 2019

81%

ADULT OCCUPANT

83%

CHILD OCCUPANT

46%

VULNERABLE ROAD USERS

55%

SAFETY ASSIST

Read full Euro NCAP review

Notes on safety

The Volkswagen e-Up shares its safety rating with the rest of the Up range, which is not always the case for an electric model. The Up was initially given a five-star safety rating by Euro NCAP when it was first assessed, which was way back in 2011. However, it was reassessed in 2019 and downgraded to a three-star rating. Testers highlighted marginal chest protection in some tests, and that autonomous emergency braking was not a standard feature on the Up!

In summary, the e-Up still provides competitive protection in the event of an accident, but it no longer meets the highest standards for avoiding an accident in the first place.

Eco rating

No eco rating

The Volkswagen e-Up has not been lab tested by Green NCAP. This is a new initiative, launched in 2018 as a sister organisation to Euro NCAP, and only a few cars have do far been assessed.

The e-Up is now an old car, so it is likely that it will never be tested by Green NCAP. If it does ever happen, we’ll update this page with the results.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the Volkswagen e-Up has received

2016

Next Green Car Awards – Best City Car

2013

Next Green Car Awards – Next Generation Award

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Volkswagen e-Up, you might also be interested in these alternatives

The rapidly expanding electric car market is changing almost monthly, but is still relatively small compared to the number of petrol and diesel models available. That means that there are fewer direct competitors but a variety of different cars for a given price point. Of the cars listed above, few are genuinely similar to the Volkswagen e-Up in terms of size and specification, but all are trying to fill a similar role for urban driving.

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