2018 Volkswagen Up!

Volkswagen Up!

Volkswagen’s Up! always felt like an odd fit for South Africa, never grabbing hearts the way it did in Europe. Parked below the Polo, it was supposed to be VW’s answer to the Suzuki S-Presso, Renault Kwid, and Hyundai Atos, but those rivals went harder on price and features. There’s only a 1.0-litre three-cylinder under the bonnet, and every Up! here is manual — no chance of an auto, no matter how patient you are. Only ten used examples are floating around right now, with prices sitting between R104,900 and R159,900 and the typical ask close to R130,000. That tells you how rare these are. If you spot one on your local lot in Sandton or Claremont, you’re already ahead of the curve, but don’t expect much wiggle room on price. Most of the listings are for the Move Up! 1.0 5-door, asking anywhere from R129,995 to R159,900, while the Take Up! — in both 3- and 5-door shapes — hovers in the R109,900 to R144,500 bracket. Model years stretch from 2015 to 2020, but be prepared for mileage averaging a hefty 147,340 km. These aren’t garage queens. What brings buyers back, on paper at least, is the VW badge and that sense of solid build you just don’t get from a Kwid or S-Presso. The materials inside are a notch up, and every control is a physical button or dial, which is a relief if you hate fiddly touchscreens. If you spend your days threading through Maboneng or Sea Point, the Up! nails the basics: light steering, compact footprint, and an interior that’s thoughtfully simple. For urban life, that matters.