Used Volkswagen GTI review

Is the Volkswagen Up GTI a hot hatch? Well, all the GTI hallmarks are there – the red stripe across the grille, the big wheels and tartan cloth upholstery – but you might not think a car with ‘just’ 115hp and a nine-second 0-62mph time is worthy of the hot hatch tag.

Fair enough, but remember that the original Golf GTI – genesis of the hot hatch, to many people – had 110hp and a nine-second 0-62mph time. The 995kg Up GTI is only about 150kg heavier than its grandfather, too, so it feels like a featherweight next to bigger hot hatches.

And like bigger hot hatches, the GTI is continually sought after, so doesn’t lose much of its value at all. In 2020, the Up GTI cost around £16,000 – five years later, you’ll still be paying £12,000 to £14,000 to own that same car.

Which means the Up GTI is typically more expensive than its nearest rivals, the Suzuki Swift Sport and Abarth 595. The latter is firm and feral, while the GTI is sporty but can settle down too. Best to test-drive both and see which one takes your fancy.

A gorgeous cherry red dash panel separates the GTI from other Up models, along with red stitching on the steering wheel and seats. We’d ideally like a dimpled gear lever just like in manual Golf GTIs, but beggars can’t be choosers.

Like the standard Up, infotainment is limited to a small screen with Bluetooth and USB/AUX compatibility, and a phone holder on top of the dash. Not all Ups get a multifunction steering wheel but it’s present here, making the interior feel more up-to-date and a touch more premium than cars without any buttons on the wheel.

The GTI also brings red brake calipers, a leather steering wheel, red ambient lighting and heated front seats.

The Up GTI is available with either three or five doors, and you’ll find a good mix of both on the used market. Three-door cars look sportier but five-door cars are more practical, especially if you’re going to be taking back-seat passengers along for the ride.

Besides the stitching and tartan, the seats are the same as in the regular car, so there’s no difference in access or visibility for those in the back.

As mentioned, the Up GTI boasts a huge 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine and a barely controllable 115hp. But this car isn’t about the raw figures, it’s about the driving experience. It feels a lot quicker than the nine-second 0-62mph time suggests – it probably feels quicker than you might have expected.

In particular, there’s a lot of mid-range oomph that makes it easy to get up to speed. All that torque also makes the Up feel responsive – a 10mph burst of speed to match a new speed limit takes no time at all.

The other plus point with having a small engine and no excess fat to haul around is that the Up GTI is very economical. Well, it can be, if you can resist the urge to drive it like a yob. We couldn’t. But if you have a right foot made of feathers or helium, you can achieve up to 53mpg.

If you don’t get out of the Up GTI with a smile on your face, something’s wrong. The Up feels like it’s desperately trying to prove to you that it is a sports car. It certainly sounds like one from inside.

It corners like a dog who’s won the agility test at Crufts, and every input of the steering wheel is tangibly doing something at the wheels. You feel connected to it and part of the process.

What’s more, it feels fun even at low speeds. You can rag it about and use the power in normal driving on normal roads, without the risk of getting up to licence-losing speeds. Does that make it better than a Ferrari? Quite possibly, for this specific scenario…

The GTI gets a six-speed manual gearbox compared to the five-speed one in less powerful versions, which means you’ve got an extra gearchange to enjoy. Changing gears in the GTI is part of the fun, with a shift action that’s slick and precise.

Sitting on 15mm lower suspension than the regular Up, the GTI simply will not lean or feel out of control through a corner. The flipside of the sports suspension is that it’s a lot firmer than the regular Up, even unforgiving over big bumps, but it’s still a bit softer than the comically spiky ride of the Abarth 595.