Volkswagen up! GTI (2017-2023) - Practicality, comfort and boot space
The up! GTI is surprisingly spacious and practical, with enough room for four adults
Just so you know, this is an older review of the 2017-2023 Volkswagen up! GTI. If you are interested in information about a used Volkswagen up!, or news about the latest Volkswagen models, please follow the links provided.
The Volkswagen up! GTI is as practical and spacious as the regular up! city car. Thanks to its boxy dimensions and wheel-at-each-corner packaging, there’s plenty of interior space, along with a boot that’s reasonable for a car of this size.
Three- and five-door versions are available, with the latter making the most sense if you intend to carry passengers in the rear seats. That said, the three-door version looks better.
Size
The up! GTI is 3,600mm long and 1,641mm wide – 1,910mm including the door mirrors. Amazingly, it’s remarkably similar in size to the original Volkswagen Golf GTI.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
It might be small, but clever packaging means there’s enough room inside for four adults. Even tall adults will enjoy plenty of headroom and shoulder room in the back, although their knees may be pressed against the front seats.
It’s a strict four-seater because there’s no central seatbelt in the back. It’s also worth noting that height adjustment for the front passenger seat is an £80 option.
Boot
The 251-litre boot is only slightly smaller than that of the supermini-sized Suzuki Swift Sport and larger than many city cars’. Although there’s a significant boot lip, the false floor means the luggage area is completely flat when you fold the rear seats down.
