Volkswagen e-Up review

The e-Up doesn't shout too loudly about its zero-emissions credentials inside. The rev counter has been replaced by a dial that shows how much electricity you’re using (or recuperating), while the fuel gauge shows how much charge is left in the batteries, rather than petrol in the tank, but otherwise you could be sitting in a regular petrol Up.

Still, that’s no bad thing, because the seats are comfortable, it’s easy to see out and the driving position is mostly good – although the fact the steering wheel moves only up and down (and not in and out) means you may struggle to get completely comfortable.

The dashboard is logically laid out, and the e-Up gets a relatively user-friendly infotainment system with a DAB radio, Bluetooth and a USB port. There’s also a cradle on top of the dashboard to hold your smartphone.

We usually heap praise the Up’s interior, because compared with other similarly priced petrol city cars it’s smart and feels very well put together. However, by the standards of cars in this e-Up’s price range, the interior isn’t so special. It isn’t offensive, but you’ll find no soft-touch materials anywhere, whereas you will in the Leaf.