In the beginning, there was the engine. The story of the up! GTI began in much the same way as happened in the seventies, when a small team of motorsport enthusiasts developed the first Golf GTI: they bagged themselves the most powerful engine that would fit into the compact car (four-cylinder, 1,588 cc, electric injection, K-Je-tronic). And that is what happened this time, too. The crew opted for the 1.0 TSI – a turbocharged direct petrol injection engine, as is used, for example, in the latest Polo and Golf. The three-cylinder TSI with a cubic capacity of 999 cc is a compact and lightweight power train of the EA211 engine family. Its design features include a dual overhead camshaft driven by a toothed timing belt. Both camshafts have been adjusted to reduce the emission and fuel consumption levels and to optimise power output. Details such as a turbocharger with electric wastegate control, an intake manifold module with integrated charge air cooler and an exhaust manifold integrated in the cylinder head ensure that the engine is both powerful and efficient. At a pressure of 350 bar, the fuel mixture is directly injected into the combustion chambers. These features enable the small and lightweight four-cylinder engine to produce its 115 PS peak power output between 5,000 and 5,500 rpm. The direct injection engine's maximum torque of 200 Nm (range from 2,000 to 3,500 rpm) is sent to the front axle via a
6-speed manual gearbox. By way of comparison: in 1976, the first Golf GTI delivered 140 Nm at 5,000 rpm.
Petrol engine particulate filter. The up! GTI is one of the first Volkswagen cars to launch with a close-coupled petrol particulate filter. Its use reduces particulate emissions by up to 95 per cent. After flowing through the turbocharger, the exhaust gas gets fed directly into the particulate filter. Due to its special coating, it works in parallel as a regular catalytic converter. In the first component of the exhaust gas purification system the carbon ("C") is retained and converted during the regeneration phases into carbon dioxide ("CO2"). In parallel with this, the catalytic converter function reduces three further emission components from the exhaust gas: carbon monoxide ("CO"), nitrogen oxide ("NOx") and hydrocarbon ("CmHm"). Catalytic reactions turn them likewise into carbon dioxide ("CO2"), and into nitrogen ("N2") and water ("H2O"). A second three-way catalytic converter ensures adherence to the limits even under high strain. In this way the up! GTI already fulfils the current Euro 6 AG European emissions standard.
WLTP approved. The fuel consumption and emission levels of the up! GTI have been determined based on the new WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light-Duty Vehicles Test Procedure). The RDE (Real Driving Emissions) tests are also new. They check emission and fuel consumption levels in real operation on the road. Over the combined cycle the WLTP produces a consumption figure of 5.7 to 5.6 l/100 km; the corresponding NEDC level is 4.8 l/100 km. Despite its low fuel consumption, the efficient and yet highly responsive TSI makes the latest up! one of the most agile cars in its class.