Volkswagen knows it's onto a good thing with its new Up! concept cars and it's been quick to make the most of the positive reaction at the recent Frankfurt Show with its latest concept, the four-door Space Up! This mini-MPV is similarly styled to the city car Up!, but has a more versatile cabin that allows the seats to be folded or completely removed.
A unique feature for the Space Up! to make the most of its tiny dimensions are the vertically hinged rear doors that swing open like a MINI Clubman's. Unlike the MINI, the rear doors of the Space Up! are split unevenly, so the left-hand rear door is smaller than the right-hand one. VW says this eliminates the blind spot created by the vertical join between the doors and also makes access to the boot easier in confined parking spots. Maximum boot space is 1,005-litres with the rear seats removed.
The Space Up! is longer and taller than the Up! concept, but the new show car is still shorter overall than a VW Fox city car. Designer Walter de Silva said: "This car offers the maximum space on the smallest of platforms. Despite the character of the car, we have avoided gimmicks to create a very confident design."
VW wouldn't be drawn on when we're likely to see a production version of the Space up!, but did say it was already working on a family of Up! models that will start to reach showrooms from 2010. All cars will use a rear-mounted engine and petrol, electric and hybrid power will be offered.
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