Is the Volkswagen up! worth buying?

If there's one thing Volkswagen takes seriously, it's their hatchbacks. So it's telling that some of the hottest hatches at Wolfsburg these days aren't just about their good looks and advance technology that will make even the most savvy driver confused but more of how special they can actually make you feel.

The Volkswagen up!, as its name suggests, is distinctive in its very own ways. It may be the first car in the world with a '!' in its name, which probably makes it sound like the latest smartphone from a certain country known for their copycat trademark, but the Volkswagen up! is by no means a gimmick or a toy car.

And in case you were wondering, the up! is not girly by any measure. Volkswagen has somehow deliberately designed the car not to be cutesy, which is one bloody hard task given the car's size. Instead, it's an expressive and happy-looking car, thanks to its perfect proportions, bug-eyed front and big grin around the painted front bumper, that will make any driver's day.

We reckon the idea of a small car that's smaller than a MINI brings to mind mental images of a cramped interior with a pathetic trunk space, and a wheezing, gutless engine. Not that the Smart Fortwo supports this impression (pardon the sarcasm), but this so called thought has always varied in other parts of the world. Taking America for example, the up! would never have made sense because the Americans are crazy about their big-ass space on their big-ass cars.

The Volkswagen Beetle and the GTI have enjoyed a cult-like following and Volkswagen's hatchbacks have always flirted with this sort of immortality on occasion. This time round, perhaps, the company is hoping for a similar success with its new up!.

Question is - will it work for Singaporeans? It does spell more than a breath of fresh air. The smallest Volkswagen is an unabashed attempt that provides evidence that one of the most successful car manufacturers in the world hasn't just used up its brain cells on desperate moves to churn more sales in times of sky-high COE prices but remained capable of genuine blue-sky originality and engineering mastery.
And it does show in the interior. Sit behind the wheel and you'd be forgiven for thinking this was a bigger car. It may be slightly smaller than the Kia Picanto but you won't feel short-changed by the car's spaciousness. There is more legroom than you could guess and the rear benches are good for two full-sized adults for a short sprint around town. Even the petite-looking boot is surprisingly deep!

We took the Up! (ours was the Black edition) for an extended drive around Wolfsburg and there's no doubt about its maturity. Unlike the Polo, there's an instant feeling of 'goodness'. There's a good sense of quality and durability with solid fit and finish.

Not to say that the Polo's bad in terms of its interior finishing but the Up! feels like it has been honed and perfected over a long period of time that it deserves more than just a pat on its back.

The Volkswagen Up! isn't just a city car that will make driving easy around town, it's a car that will make you realise how special you actually are.

Still the main question begs. Will people buy a 1.0-litre 3-pot Volkswagen despite soaring prices?

You see, unlike many other cars out there, there's just nothing clever about the Up! and that's precisely why it's so special. You'd be pleased for sure to have the Up! parked downstairs or on the driveway.

More often than not, simple can be desirable. It may not be an Audi. But then again, neither is it a cocky car.

Perhaps the biggest problem is the myriad of good, slightly bigger cars and almost similarly priced superminis such as the Polo or the Swift Sport - which, while less exclusive, possibly offer more performance and car for your money.