Production Volkswagen up! may go front wheel drive instead, optional ER-EV

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It looks like Volkswagen's new up! mini-car will be a little bit less of a modern incarnation of the Beetle than originally planned. The original three concept versions of VW's "new small family" (NSF) featured a rear-mounted engine and drive to the rear axle, similar to the Smart ForTwo. Apparently, as a cost saving measure, the company has now switched to a more conventional front engine, front wheel drive layout. This will probably allow VW to share some hardware with other models like the Polo. Two of VW's other brands, Skoda and Seat, will also get new cars based on the same architecture. It looks like the initial engine lineup will feature gas and diesel engines of 1.2L displacement and 55hp. In addition, it appears that VW is planning to build an extended range electric version of the up! The ER-EV up! is expected to a have a 30-mile electric range on lithium ion batteries and a small gas engine to extend that out to 300 miles.

[Source: AutoBlogGreen.com]
Production Volkswagen up! may go front wheel drive instead, optional ER-EV - AutoblogGreen