VW Up becomes a tiny footnote in the Germans' history books

Unveiled to great fanfare in 2011 by Volkswagen Chairman Martin Winterkorn at the Frankfurt motor show, the VW Up has passed on to the great car graveyard.

Too small to ever pass federal regulation muster on American roads, the Up — which eventually spawned the Up GTI in Europe and even an E-Up — has been severed from the brand’s lineup, leaving the Polo as the smallest model in the Germans' lineup, according to Autocar.

The diminutive, funny-faced Up was originally part of the Volkswagen Group’s New Small Family (NSF) vehicle series, which was offered though its history with a variety of power choices. Back at launch, it could be selected with a 1.0-liter three-cylinder petrol engine producing either 59 or 74 horsepower. A facelift in 2016 brought more power with the introduction of a turbocharged variant producing 89 horses.