THE ONLY WAY IS UP, BABY

VW's Up GTI is a mature hatch with a miniature footprint

- JONATHAN BRYCE

The Volkswagen Up GTI created a desirable problem for its maker when it arrived in 2018.

At that time, the cheapest way of bagging yourself a warmed-up city car was the Renault Twingo GT or Suzuki Swift Sport.

But both were significantly more expensive than the snub-nosed Wolfsburg warrior. And both were less economical, less fun to drive and not quite as well resolved. The result, apparently to VW's surprise, was an order backlog that began almost immediately and didn't really stop until the car went out of production at the start of 2023.

What's the deal, then? Why did a lukewarm hatchback with 118bhp, a 0-62mph time of 8.8sec and a top speed of 122mph become such a sales hit?