It’s become something of a truism that Volkswagen has strayed, at least somewhat, from building archetypal people’s cars such as the original Beetle. The mainstay Golf has grown to a near-premium status, and its more-affordable little brother, the Polo, is still pricey for its segment. To broaden VW’s appeal and bring first-time buyers into showrooms, the company is launching the Up! this year—a front-wheel-drive hatchback positioned—and priced—beneath both the Polo and Golf. It uses a new platform that will span an entire family of cars specifically developed for affordable products and efficiency. (You can read our first drive of the Up! here.) But this isn’t the first time VW has ventured downmarket, so for the historians among you as well as the Volkswagen aficionados, we have assembled a list of the company’s notable endeavors to sell truly entry-level models.
The Beetle was the brand’s backbone for decades, and it was available with a plethora of engines. Some versions of the Bug, powered by 1.5- and 1.6-liter engines, could reach 80 mph. The entry-level Beetle was the 1200; its cheaper version was called the 1200A for a while. Powered by a 1.2-liter engine, the 1200As were de-chromed, de-contented, and known as “Sparkäfer”—”cost-cutting Beetle.”
A subsequent entry-level model was the Polo, launched in 1975 as an entry-level version of the Ingolstadt-developed Audi 50. It was decontented to a shocking extent. Powered by a 39-hp, 900-cc (that’s 0.9-liter) four-cylinder engine, it featured cardboard door trim, but it didn’t include such dispensable items as headrests, external door locks on the passenger side, or rubber trim on the gas pedal. In a subsequent change of strategy, the Polo quickly adopted the Audi 50′s more-powerful engines and better content; the Audi was killed off shortly thereafter.
For even more frugal transportation than the Polo, VW developed the Chicco in 1975. Measuring just 10.8 feet and tipping the scales at a mere 1389 pounds, it would have been the perfect city vehicle. Power came from a 39-hp inline-three. The Chicco was developed with simple assembly in mind, and its styling was a prelude to the second-generation Polo, which bowed in 1981. No more than a few prototypes were built.
While the Chicco remained a prototype, the Gol—developed in Brazil with ingredients taken liberally from VW’s and Audi’s parts bins—was launched in 1978. Gol is Portuguese for “goal,” and indeed the car was developed with Brazil and other emerging markets in mind. Ultimately, the Gol became a smashing success, but it had a rough start. The first Gol, despite its modern looks, was powered by a coughing Beetle engine; proper powerplants arrived soon after. The fifth-generation Gol, which went on sale in 2008, is pictured above.
A few years after the first Gol went on sale, a simple but more adequately powered derivative of the Gol was offered on the U.S. market: the Fox, which appropriated a nameplate previously used by Audi. It wasn’t bad, but didn’t do much for VW’s brand image. Just three years before, in 1984, VW sold the Rabbit “Sparmeister,” the master of cost-cutting, specifically for the U.S. market.
In 1982, shortly after the launch of the second-gen Polo, VW unveiled a far smaller (at 10.3 feet) and radically styled prototype: the Student. Powered by a 49-hp, 1.1-liter four, it had real potential, but Volkswagen never went ahead with producing it. Its closed front end was re-interpreted for the 1988 Passat.
The 1990s were the decade of organic design, and alternative powertrains were seriously explored—at least when it came to concept cars. The VW Chico, a pet project of former VW head Carl H. Hahn, was a tiny two-plus-two powered by a 34-hp two-cylinder engine and an 8-hp electric motor. The two powerplants could work in tandem for a boost in power. The Chico never went beyond prototype status.
When he arrived in the CEO’s office, the tech-loving Ferdinand Piëch killed off not only the Chico, but also another city vehicle: The project of a “Swatch-Car” had been moving forward for some time as a cooperative effort between the Swiss watchmaker and VW. Piëch saw little value in what the Swiss brought to the table and caustically remarked, “We wouldn’t want to do a Passat watch.” The Swiss entourage took its “elephant’s roller skate” (Piëch’s words, not ours) and went to Daimler-Benz. There, the concept morphed into the car we now know as the Smart.
Piëch’s idea for an entry-level car was a bit more conventional than the Swatch car. The 11.6-ft Lupo launched in 1998. It boasted sporty chassis tuning, premium materials, and a big engine lineup with a power range spanning from 49 to 123 hp. One of the most interesting derivatives was the Lupo 3L TDI—so named because by stripping out weight and using a small diesel engine, the car scored a European fuel-economy rating of 3 liters per 100 km, or 78.4 mpg.
The other Lupo derivative that fascinated us was the 123-hp Lupo GTI. Thanks to sophisticated lightweight materials borrowed from the 3L TDI to achieve some economies of scale, the GTI was agile and quick. The equipment level was great; even bi-xenon headlights were available. One thing the Lupo GTI wasn’t: inexpensive.
The Fox, developed in Brazil and launched in Europe in 2005, provided a stark contrast to the Lupo it replaced. Devoid of any originality and passion, it is considered one of the many strategic misses of the Bernd Pischetsrieder era in Wolfsburg. Perhaps the crossover variations sold in Latin America would have added some pizzazz, but they would have encroached on the Polo’s territory. A few weeks ago the Fox was deleted from VW’s European lineup swiftly and silently.
Not only does the Up! carry the two central letters of the Lupo moniker, it is designed to carry forward its spirit as well—albeit with much broader appeal. The Up! is powered by the new EA211 gasoline engine in three-cylinder configuration; a turbocharged version will follow. But there is no diesel in the plans, an eyebrow-raising decision from a German carmaker.
This 2007 Space Up! concept is one idea of many that VW is toying with for Up!-based models. There is room for a five-door Up! below the Polo in the VW product lineup, as well as a single-box people mover. But we’re most excited for the company to turn its attention to sporty derivatives.
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