Volkswagen Up practicality and boot space

• Only four seats means more room for rear seat passengers…
• But lacks the ultimate flexibility of a five-seat Hyundai i10
• Downgraded to three Euro NCAP stars in 2019

Despite the Up’s city car dimensions, there’s a surprising amount of passenger space on offer. Occupants in the front – even those over average height – are afforded plentiful levels of head and legroom and it’s largely the same story for those in the back.

Sure, headroom may be a little tight for those over 6ft and the lack of a middle seat may be a pain for some, but overall passenger space is impressive nonetheless.

Storage space in the front is reasonable, thanks to deep door pockets and a number of other cubbyholes dotted around the cabin. There’s only one cupholder, mind, and the glovebox is filled almost entirely by the car’s manual.

The Volkswagen Up is one of the smallest new cars on sale and, as such, can fit in even the smallest of spaces. Rear parking sensors and even a rear parking camera are available, but certainly not essential. Blindspots on the car are almost non-existent, plus small overhangs mean it’s easy to judge the Up’s extremities. 

The Up’s boxy dimensions mean there’s a perfectly usable amount of boot space on offer, comparing favourably with all key rivals. All trim levels (apart from the base Take Up) come with 60:40-split folding rear seats and a variable height boot floor.

Handily, the boot floor and seats sit flush when the latter are folded down, making it easier to slide longer objects into the Up. Just be aware that with the boot floor in its lowest position, there is a small lip to lift heavy objects over when placing them into the car. 

Volkswagen Up safety

The Volkswagen Up originally achieved the maximum five-star rating in Euro NCAP crash testing – but that was under less stringent criteria back in 2011. It has been retested again in 2019, and downgraded to three stars instead.

You can see the latest crash tests in the video below.

Though it remains as safe as it ever was structurally, the 2019 facelift model is no longer available with autonomous emergency braking, which was optional until point. Instead lane-keeping assist has become a standard feature.

Every Volkswagen Up comes as standard with two Isofix points on the rear seats. If you intend to carry young kids around on a regular basis, the obvious advice would be to go for the five-door version, affording easier access when climbing in and fitting child seats. Every car also comes with driver and front passenger airbags, plus further ones for thorax and side of head protection.

Bear in mind, however, that no matter how safe the Up is on paper it’s still a small car and is likely to come off second best in a collision with a larger vehicle, regardless of its safety rating.