Volkswagen: The only way is up!

Volkswagen. Photo / Supplied

Volkswagen is understood to be evaluating the new five-door up! for the New Zealand market.

VW New Zealand general manager Dean Sheed won't confirm it , but Driven has been told the five-door is "most definitely" on the cards for this market.

The picture here is the first official image of the new five-door, set to make its debut at the Geneva motor show in March. It is the more practical sister car to the three-door city car, on sale in Europe since last year.

VW claims the new five-door model will account for half of all up! sales. It's expected to sit on exactly the same wheelbase as the three-door, with no major increase in dimensions.

Under the bonnet is the same choice of 1-litre three-cylinder petrol engines as the three-door, offering outputs of 44kW and 55kW.

Claimed fuel consumption for the 44kW model is 4.2 litres/100km, with a CO2 emissions rating of 99g/km.

Safety technology includes the optional City Emergency Braking system. It is automatically active at speeds under 30km/h and uses a laser sensor to detect the risk of an impending collision.

Depending on speed and situation, City Emergency Braking can reduce accident severity by initiating automatic brake interventions. It can even avoid a crash. So far, the up! is the only vehicle in the segment to be offered with this technology.

At 3.54m in length, 1.64m in width and 1.48m in height, the up! is one of the smallest four-seater cars. Its overall length consists of short body overhangs and a 2.42m wheelbase.