Volkswagen Up review

Tall drivers benefit from a wide range of seat adjustment; every Up provides seat-height adjustment as standard. Some people might find the seat a little firm, but side support is good, helping to hold you in place through corners.

It’s a shame that the Up’s steering wheel doesn’t adjust for reach (it only moves up and down), and, even with the wheel in its highest setting, you might find that it blocks your view of the instrument dials. However, none of the Up's key rivals offer steering wheel reach adjustment, either.

If you want a touchscreen infotainment system like you get in a Hyundai i10, you’re out of luck. Instead, the Up gives you a small 5.0in colour screen; it sits below the climate controls, and displays information such as the radio station and, when fitted, rear-view camera image. You also get Bluetooth connectivity, AUX in and a USB socket as standard. 

For navigation, you’ll need to use your phone, and there’s a cradle on the dashboard in which you can mount it, along with a selection of integrated apps. With these, your smartphone effectively becomes the hub of the car’s infotainment system. However, we imagine most users will just use their phones’ native normal music and navigation apps rather than go through Volkswagen’s app.