The facelifted Volkswagen up! city car is now available in South Africa with updated exterior and interior styling. Take a look at what's changed…

The Volkswagen up! has been a sales success in South Africa since its introduction early in 2015 and the model has received some updates to keep it ahead of the curve. The facelifted up! was shown earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show and the refreshed up! has now arrived in South Africa.

Key features

The up! range consists of 4 derivatives including the Take up!, Move up!, up! Beats and the Cross up!. All up! derivatives will be offered in 5-door guise only. The up! Beats and Cross up! will be offered locally in the first quarter of 2017.

The facelifted up! offers higher levels of customisation with new colours and wheels designs available to buyers. Buyers can opt for optional 15-inch Spoke alloy wheels or a number of optional packages such as the Sound 'Plus' Package (4 speakers), Driver Package (cruise control, rear park distance control and muli-function display), Winter Package (heated seats and front fog lights), Roof Package (black roof and side mirrors), smartphone integration, navigation and a panoramic sunroof. You can also choose between 8 colours includingCandy White, Pure White, Teal Blue, Honey Yellow Metallic, Tornado Red, Dark Silver Metallic, Edelweiss Metallic and Deep Black Pearlescent.

Exterior improvements include newly designed head- and taillight clusters, revised front and rear bumpers, new side mirror housings with integrated indicator lights and cornering fog lamps.

The interior of the up! benefits from a new infotainment system with MirrorLink integration, while the steering wheel now features mounted controls.New seat and printed dashboard designs are also on offer while ambient lighting further improves the interior mood. Buyers will be pleased to know that Bluetooth and a USB port will be fitted as standard on all Up! derivatives, except for the base Take up!, where these features will be optional. The Take up! is fitted with a 3.1-inch 'Composition' monochrome display as standard, offering Radio/CD, an SD card slot and Auxilliary port. In comparison, the Move up!, Cross up! and up! Beatscomeequipped with a 5-inch 'Composition Phone' display offering radio, USB, SD card slot, auxiliaryport and Bluetooth functionality as standard.

The Up! Beats replaces the previous Club Up! and Colour Up! derivatives and comes fitted with a 300W premium sound system by BeatsAudio, the same sound system found in the recently introduced Volkswagen Polo Beats. The up! Beats will also feature newly designed 'Radial' 15-inch alloy wheels, beats decals and contrasting side mirrors. The up! Beats will be able to integrate the 'Maps + More' smartphone app with the infotainment system, allowing the user to use the phone display for functions such as navigation, telephone and car information.

In terms of engine power, the current 3-cylinder1.0-litre petrol engine, which produces 55 kW and 95 Nm of torque, will power all up! derivativeswhile a 5-speed manual transmission will drive the front wheels. The claimed average fuel consumption is 4.6 L/100 km.

Volkswagen up! – Prices in South Africa

Take up! –R164700

Move up! –R178 300

Up! Beats –R194 700

Cross up! –R194700

The Volkswagen up! is sold with a 3-year/120 000 km warranty and a 12-year anti-corrosion waranty. Service plans are available as an option.

Related content:

Comparative Review: Volkswagen Cross Up! vs Smart ForFour

Volkswagen up! (2015) Review

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