UP! to be axed
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More's the pity.
l love my little Up!, but l think lack of auto, and slightly higher price over other small cars probably didn't help.
l love my little Up!, but l think lack of auto, and slightly higher price over other small cars probably didn't help.
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540 Posts
What a shame. But I guess if they've got poor market share and poor sales, there's no point.
Expansion into the South American market will probably eclipse their lack of sales in Australia though and make up the shortfall with a massive gain.
And of course, with the GT coming out this year in Europe (hopefully), VW doesn't have much to worry about.
Expansion into the South American market will probably eclipse their lack of sales in Australia though and make up the shortfall with a massive gain.
And of course, with the GT coming out this year in Europe (hopefully), VW doesn't have much to worry about.
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116 Posts
My wife is also miffed about it.
She loves the Up! too, and would have considered one herself in a couple of years time, when her current car would need updating.
High price, lack of auto and lack of marketing, don't or didn't help matters.
She loves the Up! too, and would have considered one herself in a couple of years time, when her current car would need updating.
High price, lack of auto and lack of marketing, don't or didn't help matters.
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11 Posts
I think a large part of the reason for the axing is that Australians still want bigger cars. There seems to be a mental block in Australian society that anything smaller than a corolla (or similar - medium size car) with a 1.8 litre engine, is not useful/not acceptable.
Corolla is the best selling car here. It is the standard. The only reason most people buy a smaller car than that is if they can't afford a corolla! Thus, the cheaper getz and Alto get the nod over the Up!.
I think VW has sold less than 3000 Up!s in all of Australia?
What happens when we need spare parts now? Will they bother even keeping them in stock?
I live in Brisbane - I can count on two hands the number of other Ups I have seen driving around in the last 6 months.
I really like everything about my up (except the gearbox).
Corolla is the best selling car here. It is the standard. The only reason most people buy a smaller car than that is if they can't afford a corolla! Thus, the cheaper getz and Alto get the nod over the Up!.
I think VW has sold less than 3000 Up!s in all of Australia?
What happens when we need spare parts now? Will they bother even keeping them in stock?
I live in Brisbane - I can count on two hands the number of other Ups I have seen driving around in the last 6 months.
I really like everything about my up (except the gearbox).
1440, that is a small number. I live in the South West of the UK where a lot of farm land and villages mean we are less densely populated and my local VW dealer in Newton Abbot told me that they had sold over 200 Up!'s since its release. Only about 15 miles from the Newton branch is Marsh Barton in Exeter (closest big town) which is an industrial estate of around 20 car dealers so most would buy from there too.
It is a shame but if it isn't selling then pulling it is the best thing. It does mean any left over will become collector classics though
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It is a shame but if it isn't selling then pulling it is the best thing. It does mean any left over will become collector classics though
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540 Posts
up_take87 said:
Import? lol I dread to think of the cost of that.
You're right about the small car stigma here. People are moving away from traditional large cars, but many of them are making the transition into equally large, or even larger crossovers and 4WD's. Maybe it's a perceived safety thing, or maybe it's still the belief that size = value for money?
That attitude is even more extreme in America. Any suggestions regarding small cars are usually met with an asinine comment like: "That little tin can is a deathtrap. If you got hit by a Dodge Ram in that, you would be dead for sure!" As if any car you purchase is intrinsically doomed to meet its fate with the undercarriage of a gargantuan pickup truck. haha
I always liked the idea of a small fuel-sipping car that is fun to drive, but I was initially worried that the UP wasn't going to be 'enough car' for me. Especially coming away from big six cylinder cars and even a V8 mustang. However I've found the UP to be more than adequate for my needs. Surprisingly good actually! If only I would have made the swap to a small car earlier, I would have saved big $$$ on petrol!
And as far as the UP's sales performance goes, I was expecting better but I wasn't predicting a huge success either. The lack of an auto being the biggest culprit.
Personally I think the idea of having such a rare car is pretty cool.
Maybe we've got a future classic?
That attitude is even more extreme in America. Any suggestions regarding small cars are usually met with an asinine comment like: "That little tin can is a deathtrap. If you got hit by a Dodge Ram in that, you would be dead for sure!" As if any car you purchase is intrinsically doomed to meet its fate with the undercarriage of a gargantuan pickup truck. haha
I always liked the idea of a small fuel-sipping car that is fun to drive, but I was initially worried that the UP wasn't going to be 'enough car' for me. Especially coming away from big six cylinder cars and even a V8 mustang. However I've found the UP to be more than adequate for my needs. Surprisingly good actually! If only I would have made the swap to a small car earlier, I would have saved big $$$ on petrol!
And as far as the UP's sales performance goes, I was expecting better but I wasn't predicting a huge success either. The lack of an auto being the biggest culprit.
Personally I think the idea of having such a rare car is pretty cool.
Maybe we've got a future classic?
Duffstar said:1440, that is a small number. I live in the South West of the UK where a lot of farm land and villages mean we are less densely populated and my local VW dealer in Newton Abbot told me that they had sold over 200 Up!'s since its release. Only about 15 miles from the Newton branch is Marsh Barton in Exeter (closest big town) which is an industrial estate of around 20 car dealers so most would buy from there too.
It is a shame but if it isn't selling then pulling it is the best thing. It does mean any left over will become collector classics though![]()
some off our danish dealer sell 200 up´s a month
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