Volkswagen LUPO 1.4 E
If Youre One Of Those Difficult Customers Who Wants Top Quality But Isnt Prepared To Pay For It, The VW Lupo E 1.4 Could Well Loosen The Tight Grip On The Purse Strings. Andy Enright Reports
Judged purely in feet and inches, the
Volkswagen Lupo 1.4 E doesnt give you an awful lot of car for your money. In fact, on a pounds per inch basis, its pretty pricey. As anybody whos ever suffered the after effects of a bargain all-you can eat Indian buffet will attest, quality counts far more than quantity.
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In this respect the Lupo is well ahead of the field.
Whilst the lions share of the press has been devoted to the roller-skate Lupo GTi and the parsimonious turbo diesel version, the more prosaic models have been overlooked. Whilst they may have been ignored by those looking for a headline, they certainly havent been neglected by the British public, and the Lupo 1.4E is probably the pick of the budget range. Living in a somewhat class-conscious society has bred a form of inverse snobbery that results in big sales of cars such as these.
Whilst the top-spec GTi models are often seen as trying a little too hard, basic specification Peugeots, Volkswagens and Renaults appeal to the label conscious. The ascetic appeal of owning the entry-level models is akin to noticing how the seriously wealthy always seem to have a strangely moth-eaten charm, leather patches on the elbows of their tweed jackets. If old-money inconspicuous consumption is your thing, the Lupo 1.4E is about as good as it gets.
"Nobody would pretend that the E trim level stands for Extensive, but dont write it off as being a stripped-down budget special."
Under the skin, the Lupo1.4E shares its underpinnings with the
SEAT Arosa, and although you may not realise straight away, given the two cars very different front ends, park them back to back and youll see the similarity. Likewise, the fact that
Volkswagen designed inherent cuteness into the styling in order to appeal to females isnt the industrys most closely guarded secret. If the last city car you drove was a
Fiat 126 at college, jumping into the Lupo may come as something of a surprise.
Instead of the usual rather boring layout, its all rather a shock. In a rush of blood to the head, the German designers decided on silver-rimmed Italianate twin instrument dials featuring Allen bolts and soothing blue backlighting at night. Its all rather funky, creating the kind of car that makes you feel good about yourself. Yet at the same time, it all feels comfortably sensible too.
Theres the unrivalled VW build quality as well as a host of nice detail touches that set the Lupo apart from other city cars: the expensively textured dash plastics, the soft-return grab handles, the standard seat and wheel height adjustment. Nobody would pretend that the E trim level stands for Extensive, but dont write it off as being a stripped-down budget special. Standard equipment includes twin airbags, power steering, a height adjustable drivers seat and steering wheel a transponder immobiliser and a rev counter. If you do a lot of city driving, you may feel tempted to take a dip into the options list and have air conditioning plumbed in.
Likewise ABS is a good idea in this saturated isle. The all-aluminium 1.4-litre engine generates a willing 75bhp, and the 16-valve unit is one of a modern breed that doesnt need to be revved until your eardrums bleed in order to turn out a useful torque figure. 92 lb/ft of torque may not sound enough to twist the cap off a beer bottle but when allied to the Lupos 985kg weight, it results in impressive flexibility and in-gear acceleration.
If you want to burn rubber, the Lupo can be persuaded up to 60mph in just less than 12 seconds and will just about see the other side of 105mph, conditions permitting. These figures are of peripheral interest compared to the cars fuel economy. The ability to eke nearly 30mpg out of a gallon of fuel in the most arduous stop/start city driving conditions is one of the attractions of the Lupo but, unlike certain rivals, its equally at home on the open road where youll easily see 54mpg. In terms of handling as well as power, this is not a three-door for enthusiasts.
VW admit that the ride is biased towards comfort, which would make the Lupo an excellent motorway car were it able to be just a little more refined. Not that youre likely to find many noises emanating from the fixtures and fittings. Its all screwed together with just the same kind of quality youd find in a £25,000 VW Passat. Like its bigger brother, the Lupo doesnt lake for front seat space, although regular rear seat passengers will be thumbing their copies of Auto Trader wistfully looking at used Passats.
Dont go expecting too much of the boot either, though it should easily hold a weeks shopping. Owners will be reassured by a three year unlimited mileage warranty and twelve years of anti-corrosion cover. In contrast,
Ford will offer you just twelve months and six years respectively. Youll see Neil Hamilton in Number 10 before you see a rusty Lupo.
If you want to buy the best city car around, the Lupo has as a pretty good claim to the title. The 1.4 E isnt the cheapest at £8,610, but its one of the most appealing. Volkswagen have made a clear differentiation between inexpensive and cheap, and the Lupo 1.
4 E feels reassuringly bulletproof. Think of it as a distilled Golf and you wont be too far off the mark
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: VW Lupo 1.4 E
PRICE: £8,610 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 3
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 11.8s / Max Speed 106mph
CO2 EMISSIONS: 151g/km
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 32.5 / (extra urban) 57.6 / (combined) 44.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height" 139/71/57"
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