Volkswagen up! hatchback - Practicality & boot space (2012-2023)
The Volkswagen up! is very well packaged inside, offering plenty of space for a city car
The four-seat Volkswagen up! is slightly shorter than the Hyundai i10 and it can’t boast the fifth seat that the Hyundai offers. However, a third rear-seat passenger always feels rather cramped in a city car, and the up! still offers plenty of interior space for most young families, while its small dimensions make it easy to park and manoeuvre – ideal for inexperienced drivers.
Volkswagen up! interior space & storage
Size isn't on the Volkswagen up!’s side when it comes to practicality, but it manages to feel more spacious than you'd think possible. Space in the front seats is excellent and, even with a tall driver, there's ample room for two adults in the back. However, the low roof means that headroom can be a little tight in the rear.
Access to the rear is inevitably easier if you go for the five-door up!, but bear in mind this costs an extra £400 over the three-door version - although most of the range is five-door only anyway.
Volkswagen has ensured there are plenty of useful storage places in the up!, with cubbyholes behind the gearstick, a decent glovebox and large door bins. ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the back seats are standard across the range.
Boot space
Lift open the boot and you’ll discover that VW has managed to make the luggage area surprisingly large. While 251 litres doesn't sound like much, it compares well to the Toyota Aygo (168 litres) and the larger Hyundai i10 (252 litres).
There’s a boot lip to lift heavy items over, but Volkswagen has given the car a false floor, which means the boot stays flat with the rear seats down. Doing that frees up 951 litres in total. The rear seats are now split-folding on all models.
