Volkswagen eco Up! introduced

Volkswagen eco Up! 05.12.2012

Runs on natural gas, biomethane or petrol

Volkswagen has introduced the new eco Up!.

Available as a three- or five-door hatchback, the eco Up! features a 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine that has been specially modified to run on natural gas. It produces 68 HP (50 kW) and 90 Nm (66 lb-ft) of torque. This enables the model to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in a leisurely 16.3 seconds and hit a top speed of 164 km/h (102 mph).

To maximize fuel efficiency, the car is equipped with an engine start/stop system, regenerative brakes and low-rolling resistance tires. This enables the eco Up! to average 2.9 kg of natural gas/100 km and have CO2 emissions of 79 g/km. More importantly, Volkswagen estimates the cost of traveling 100 km (62 miles) in Germany would only be about €3 using natural gas.

Interestingly, the car has three fuel tanks: two for natural gas and one for petrol. This allows the model to travel 380 km (236 miles) on natural gas and an additional 220 km (137 miles) on petrol.

The eco Up! will be priced from €12,950 in Germany and it will be eligible for rebates in excess of €1,000.