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That got your attention! :-) Basically it's VW's answer to the Smart FourTwo, except it seats four people not two people. It's not clear whether the 94mpg is US or Imperial, so my guess is imperial.

Production Volkswagen Up! Promises up to 94 MPG (http://www.dailytech.com/Production+Volkswagen+Up+Promises+up+to+94+MPG/article11528.htm)
VW gets back to its roots with the Up!


Back in October 2007, DailyTech brought you news concerning Volkswagen's Up! concept car. The tiny Up! measures just 135.8" in length and only 64.2" in width. VW's hope with the Up! is to spark a revolution in economical vehicles like the original Beetle.

According to Auto Express, work on the production version of the Up! is coming along nicely and more details of the tiny runabout are starting to leak out of VW headquarters. Like the original Beetle, the Up! is a rear-engine, rear wheel drive vehicle.

Despite the tiny dimensions, the Up! will be able to seat four people within its cabin. Adding to its versatility, the three passenger seats of the Up! can be folded to accept large/bulky cargo or removed completely for even more storage space.

Power for the Up! will come from a choice of gasoline or diesel two-cylinder engines. Both engines will be around 600c in capacity and will be turbocharged. VW is projecting that the turbocharged diesel motor will be good for 94 MPG combined on the European cycle.

Pricing for the Up! is expected to start at around £4,000 ($7,900 USD) in emerging markets for completely stripped models. Better-equipped models destined for the European market are expected to start at £7,500 ($14,800 USD).

With tiny vehicles like the Smart Fourtwo seeing huge demand in the United States, it may only be a matter of time before VW sends the Up! to our shores. Compared to the Smart Fourtwo, the Up! features room for two additional passengers and vastly superior fuel economy.

Isn't this built on a A2 frame (making it the next size down from a Polo & 2 sizes down from a Golf/Jetta/Eos/Beetle ?)

VWvortex.com had a photo posted a while back

Based on the Lupo frame (A2?). I get confused with the A2/A3/A4 etc designations since I'm used to the Audi range. I'd really love an Audi A2 TDi (which has an aluminium body, and gets very good MPG).

If you follow the autoexpress link from DailyTech you'll see this paragraph:
As well as the three-door in our pictures, VW has plans for a five-door version. Incredibly, it will sit on exactly the same wheelbase, and will be no taller than the three-door, either. An MPV version – as previewed by the Space up! at January’s Los Angeles Motor Show – will also join the range, while there are plans for a hybrid as well. What’s more, the groundbreaking up! platform won’t only come wearing a Volkswagen badge – it’s also set to spawn a host of other VW Group pro-ducts (see panel, below).

-- Edit:

Now I think about it, given that it is a rear-engined car, I guess it'd be a new platform?

rear engine ? - then its a new platform

VW and Audi had a common frame designation. For example, the A6 and Passat were built on same platforms. Diito across the entire line.

It is a handy shorthand.

Also -
VW rabbit/jetta 197?-1984 = A1 + Scirocco 197?-1989
golf/jetta 1985-1992 = A2
golf/jetta (vento?) 1993-1998.5 = A3
golf/jetta (bora) 1998.5-2005 = A4
rabbit/jetta current = A5

Also - Audi A6/Passat is a B frame.
Fox I believe was an A/B frame.

Just saw a blurb on PopSci about it and they quoted 80mpg. That 94 is probably imperial, then.

The article says they run on 2 cylinder engines?? Won't the emissions be terrible ?

2-cylinder, not 2-cycle.

<slaps forehead> Duh! :o

Maxx,

Your table is more accurate than my shorthand - which is merely meant as a quick method of determining relative size.


(if we really wanted to get into the subtlies we could start discussing why the '05+ Passat isn't really a 'B6" as everyone likes to describe it as well as various SEAT and Skoda variations)