Volkswagen Up! back on for Australia

The on-again, off-again Volkswagen Up! city car – pictures of which were released earlier this week, ahead of its Frankfurt motor show debut – could be back on-again for Australia, giving the German maker a strong contender in the $13,990 class.

The managing director of Volkswagen Australia, Anke Koeckler, told Motoring.com.au that the strong Australian dollar may have made the cut-price car viable.

“I’m very close to getting the Up! into the country,” she said. “It was on, then off, then we put it back on. We are pretty sure to get this car.”

She said VW hoped to have the 3.54m-long vehicle in showrooms by the end of 2012 ahead of a 2013 on-sale date, and insisted it had to be priced below the $16,990 starting price of Polo.

“I’m fighting to get [the price] less than Polo,” she said. “I’m looking to have an affordable car and a great model mix. The Chinese [brands] will not offer on the same level as we do, technology, safety … design.”

VW expects the Up! to sell in significant volumes, and possibly become the brand’s fourth biggest seller locally.

“To make it feasible, a considerable volume is behind what we expect to then sell. Otherwise there’s no point to introduce an all-new model to a whole new market,” she said.

The Up! was designed to bring new customers to the VW – and hopefully keep them for future models.

“It’s important … to get new customers to the brand and keep with the brand their whole life.”

The Up! will be available with three types of 1.0-litre three-cylinder power in Europe – petrol, diesel and natural gas – but VW Australia is yet to lock in powertrains.

Ms Koeckler said the electric version was not confirmed for Australia.

“The EV we didn’t look to at this moment, but we leave the door open. We are not going to launch the electric version from the beginning.”

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