Volkswagen Lupo

The Volkswagen Lupo was a city car manufactured by German automaker Volkswagen from 1998 to 2005.

It was introduced in 1998 to fill a gap at the bottom of the VW model range caused by the increasing size and weight of the VW Polo. Rivals included the Ford Ka, the Opel Agila and the Fiat Panda. The SEAT Arosa was a badge-engineered version of the Lupo.

The car was available with a variety of engine sizes and trim levels, from budget models through to the GTI variant. The 6-speed Lupo GTI has been labelled a true successor to the VW Golf Mk.1, the first true hot hatch.

Various special-edition and test models have set records in fuel economy. The lightweight nature of the car and advanced 3-cylinder diesel engine have resulted in a production model (the Lupo 3L) that can consume as little as 3 litres per 100 kilometres (78 miles per US gallon or 94 miles per Imperial gallon). It was rumoured that it was this model that encouraged Renault to produced the Clio V6, since they assumed 3L stood for a 3-litre engine[citation needed].

Production of the Lupo ceased in 2005. It has been replaced by the VW Fox.

Awards

2001 Fleet News Award - Best Micro Car

1999 Auto Express New Car Honours - Best Small Car

1999 International Engine of the Year Award - Best Fuel Economy


Production
1998-2005

Successor
Volkswagen Fox

Class
City car

Engine
1.0 L I4 (Petrol)
1.4 L I4 (Petrol)
1.6 L I4 (Petrol)
1.2 L TDI PD I3 (Diesel)
1.7 L I4 (Diesel)