Volkswagen is planning on introducing a new Up! GTI model in 2018!

The Volkswagen Up! city car has been a sales success in South Africa since it was launched almost 2 years ago. The facelifted up! was introduced recently but reports are indicating that Volkswagen will be "spicing up" the range with a new Up! GTI model due to make its debut in 2018.

If there is one car South Africans love, it’s the Golf GTI and it’s hardly surprising that Volkswagen will introduce an Up! GTI. Just by virtue of adding GTI lettering to its name, the popularity of the up! is bound to increase as a result.

Key details

Much like the Golf GTI, the Up! GTI is likely to feature sportier styling that sets it apart from the rest of the Up! range. The red exterior detailing seen on the Golf GTI is likely to appear on the Up! GTI and you can expect sports seats, a sports steering wheel and sport pedals transferred into the new model.

A GTI model, however, means nothing without performance and the Up! GTI will still be fitted with a 3-cylinder, 1.0-litre engine, but power will be tuned to 85 kW (current Up! offers 55 kW) with a manual gearbox driving the front wheels. Although 85 kW might not sound like much, with a kerb weight of only 880 kg, a favourable power to weight ratio will ensure perky performance and the zero to 100 kph sprint will take approximately 8.8 seconds.

We will keep you updated as more details become available, so stay tuned!

* Pictured is the Volkswagen Up! facelift.

Related content:

Comparative Review: Volkswagen Cross Up! vs Smart ForFour

Facelifted Volkswagen Up! – Specs and Pricing

Want to buy a Volkswagen Up!?

Search for a new or used Volkswagen Up! on Cars.co.za