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eco up! 2020 in the test

up! in the CNG variant with an autograph

In addition to the expansion of electromobility, the Volkswagen Group is currently also offering models with natural gas drives. In the future, these drives will be withdrawn from the market in favor of the electric drive. The small fuel tank serves as a reserve. The long-term advantage lies in a better CO2 balance due to the possible use of biomethane or e-gas. Biomethane is obtained from plant residues, e-gas from excess green electricity (power-to-gas) that is added to the fuels. We take a look at everyday life in the eco up !.

Natural gas cars are sold by the core brand VW and the group subsidiaries Skoda and Seat. For a long time, the comparatively clean vehicles were seen as a means of achieving the emissions targets set by the authorities. Due to the change in strategy towards e-mobility, the current models are probably the last in the Volkswagen Group. The popularity of the up! as a city runabout lies in the appealing outfit combined with low maintenance costs. In the natural gas variant, the pure fuel costs are well below 5 euros per hundred kilometers.


Compact and agile

The compact city car is sufficiently motorized with 68 hp and a maximum torque of 90 Newton meters and configured for short journeys. The five-speed gearbox in the three-cylinder gasoline engine has to be shifted up and down diligently. Fast shifting is not a problem thanks to the short shifting travel. If you want to drive economically, you can use the gearshift indicator in the cockpit as a guide. The handling is practical and suitable for everyday use, if you like it faster: From 3000 tours it becomes livelier.

eco up! 2020 in the test
eco up! 2020 in the test


VW has also added a digital treat for the smartphone generation in the interior. The "maps & more dock", which has been standard since the 2020 model year, is the link with the up !: You can clip your own smartphone directly onto the dashboard and use a free VW app to display and control various functions of the car.


Cheaper refueling


When the tank is empty, one wonders about the combined display of the gas and petrol tank. The natural gas level is displayed between full and a quarter, with the gasoline range below it. If you now have little premium gasoline on board, the needle falls straight to the reserve level. The pleasant experiences then follow at the natural gas filling station. The total price at the natural gas pump starts at 14,20 euros. With the full natural gas filling, up to 300 kilometers can be covered.

eco up! 2020 in the test
eco up! 2020 in the test


In the series there is the up! as a three-door, at an additional cost it is also available as a five-door. The five-door model we drive is available for a surcharge of 550 euros. A limitation with the additional doors are the only opening windows. Despite its compact dimensions, the up! ample legroom and sufficient interior height for the driver. The large window areas offer a very good overview when parking and leaving. On the back seat, the space is of course a bit more spartan.

Conclusion


The natural gas model is not exactly the cheapest model from the up !, it starts at 15.900 euros in the basic configuration. If you don't want to switch to electric mobility yet, the natural gas variant is an alternative with regard to lower environmental pollution and low maintenance costs.

Addendum

Test from 2020.

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N. Hawthorn
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