VW up!

Volkswagen’s new micro-car, the up!, has come into some problems in the translation from concept to production, Auto Express can reveal. The all-new machine, which was revealed at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, could drop its rear-engined, rear-wheel drive layout in favour of a more conventional front-engined, front-wheel drive configuration.

The radical layout harked back to the original Beetle, and was meant to provide more cabin space but according to Dr Klaus Bischoff, director of design at VW, the project has run into a couple of problems. Firstly, the rear-heavy bias is causing instability in cross-winds.

“During development, the engine had been moving further and further forward to increase stability – now it looks likely that we will have it in the front not the rear,” he explained. Engineers are also finding it difficult to put a radiator at the front and send sufficient coolant to the back. “Changes will be made but it will still look exactly like the show car. We do not think this will affect sales – most customers are not concerned by where the engine goes.”

Bischoff revealed more about the model’s cabin too. “It will have lots of exposed metal and be unconventional. We will not clad the doors in lots of plastic, for instance.” The up! is due to go on sale in 2010, spawning a whole new range of small, frugal and low emission models, including a compact MPV. Its platform will also underpin SEAT and Skoda micro-cars too.