Volkswagen Lupo

The Volkswagen Lupo is a city car manufactured by German automaker Volkswagen from 1998 to 2005.

It was introduced in 1998 to fill a gap at the bottom of the VW model range caused by the increasing size and weight of the VW Polo. Rivals included the Ford Ka, the Opel Agila and the Fiat Seicento. The 1998 VW Lupo was a badge-engineered version of the stablemate 1997 SEAT Arosa.

The car was available with a variety of engine sizes and trim levels, from budget models through to the GTI variant. The 6-speed Lupo GTI has been labelled a true successor to the Volkswagen Golf Mk1, one of the first true hot hatches.

Production of the Lupo ceased in 2005. It has been replaced by the VW Fox.

Awards received by the car include:

• 2001 Fleet News Award - Best Micro Car
• 1999 Auto Express New Car Honours - Best Small Car
• 1999 International Engine of the Year Award - Best Fuel Economy

Lupo 3L

The Lupo 3L was a special-edition made with the intent of being the world's first car in series production consuming as little as 3 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres (78 miles per US gallon or 94 miles per Imperial gallon). To achieve this the 3L was significantly changed from the standard Lupo to include:

• 1.2 litre 3-cylinder diesel engine with turbocharger and direct injection (61 hp, 140 Nm)
• Use of light-weight aluminum and magnesium alloys for doors, bonnet, rear-hatch, seat frames, engine block, wheels, suspension system etc. to achieve a weight of only 830 kg (1,830 lb)
• Tiptronic gearbox
• Engine start/stop automatic to avoid long idling periods
• Low rolling resistance tires
• Battery location moved to boot for better weight distribution

During the period of series production of the Lupo 3L, Volkswagen also presented the 1L Concept, a prototype made with the objective of proving the capability of producing a roadworthy vehicle consuming only 1 litre of fuel per 100 kilometres (235 miles per US gallon).

Specifications

• Length 3,530 mm (139.0 in)
• Width 1,803 mm (71.0 in) (with mirrors)
• Height 1,447 mm (57.0 in)
• Luggage capacity (rear seats up) 130 litres
• Luggage capacity (rear seats down) 833 litres

Engine choices

Electric versions

There is a plug-in hybrid version by Green Propulsion.

External links

• VW Lupo's manufacturers home page
• The most economical car on earth?
• Around the world in 80 days
• VW Lupo owners club forum

Categories: Volkswagen vehicles | Front wheel drive vehicles | City cars | Euro NCAP superminis | 1990s automobiles | 2000s automobiles | Vehicles introduced in 1998 | Plug-in hybrid vehicles