Used test: Abarth 595 vs Volkswagen Up GTI interiors

What are they like inside?

Getting comfortable in either car requires compromise. Neither has reach adjustment for the steering wheel, so you’ll likely find yourself sitting too close or too far from the pedals. And while both driver’s seats are height-adjustable, each could do with going a little lower.

While most people will be able to get reasonably comfortable in the Up, you feel like you’re sitting directly above the pedals in the 595, almost as if you’re driving a pipe organ. When making small accelerator inputs, your ankle aches from the awkward angles you have to contort it to.

The Up also scores higher for visibility. Its windscreen pillars are a little slimmer, while its large rear windows, thin rear pillars and truncated tail make the car easier to reverse – handy if you don’t add rear parking sensors, which are optional on both cars.

Both cars’ interiors are constructed from tough but hard plastics, although there are a few attractive trims to lift things a bit. The Up’s interior is more logically laid out, though, and it feels slightly better built.

 There’s virtually nothing to separate our contenders for front space, although the Up is a little wider. Move to the rear and it’s a walkover for the Up. You wouldn’t call it commodious, but there’s more head room and a lot more leg room, and again it’s much wider.

The Up’s front seats don’t return to their original position once they’ve been slid forwards to let rear passengers in, whereas the 595’s do. But then again, you can have the Up with a pair of rear doors for a few hundred pounds more, whereas the 595 is exclusively a three-door model.

As for storage, the Up has more cubbyholes up front and a much bigger boot. Not only can it hold an extra carry-on suitcase, but it also has an adjustable floor that reduces the height of the loading lip by a significant margin.

The 595’s boot isn’t just smaller; it’s also an awkward shape with a huge lip at the entrance and a smaller opening. Both have split-folding rear seats, but folding down the Up’s provides a longer, squarer extended load area.

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