Rendering - Brazilian VW Up! with a partial steel tailgate

08/10/2013 - 12:56 | ,  ,   | Anjan Ravi

Brazil will be the next big market for the VW Up!. Over the course of this year, Indian Autos Blog has brought you reports and spyshots that tell how VW would make certain key changes to the small hatchback when it goes on sale in the South American country next year. This quite accurate rendering from Car Blog Brazil shows you the exact nature of those changes.

VW Up! Brazil steel tailgate
The VW Up! for Brazil gets a conventional steel tailgate.

Firstly, the all-glass bootlid is replaced by a conventional steel tailgate, as initial market surveys have indicated that the perception of an all-glass tailgate is that of cost-cutting and not that of a design feature. There is also another perception that an all-glass bootlid may not be as durable as that of a conventional door.

Volkswagen Up 5-door UK market rear
Image of the European VW Up! added for reference.

Though it may not be noticeable in a render, local media reports have suggested that the C-Pillars would increase in length and as a consequence, the boot space may also increase marginally. However, the front of the Up! remains unchanged.

VW Up! Brazil interiors
The steering wheel is the cheaper version of the 3-spoke unit offered on the European Up!

Inside, this rendering points to certain cost-cutting measures VW would resort to, for achieving a better price. The steering wheel for example is not the regular 3-spoke unit, but looks like a cheaper version of it. The dashboard would get black plastics, unlike the European Up! which gets body-colored metal inserts.

Volkswagen groove up! interiors
Note the steering wheel and body colored metal inserts on the European Up!

The new report states that the Up! would be launched in Brazil by the first half of next year. While it was scheduled for a late 2013 launch, certain unspecified mechanical problems identified recently in early prototypes have delayed the launch.

VW Up! Brazil front

Meanwhile VW's Bratislava plant, which is currently the only production facility for the Up!, rolled out the 250,000th example last week.

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