Volkswagen Lupo

Volkswagen Lupo at a glance

The name is Latin for "wolf", a reference to Volkswagen's home town of Wolfsburg. The Lupo sits below the Polo in our Volkswagen catalogue.

Generations and model history

The Lupo had one generation and no major facelift. Variants were added and dropped over its seven years.

Production peaked in 2000 with 97,403 cars and then fell every year:

These annual figures add up to 477,501; Volkswagen's total is usually given as more than 480,000. In Ireland the Lupo was named Best Micromini in 1999.

Engines, transmissions and performance

Most Lupos have a five-speed manual gearbox. A four-speed automatic was offered with the 1.4 in some markets, a five-speed automated manual with the 3L, and the GTI received a six-speed manual in March 2002. The 1.2 TDI and 1.4 TDI are three-cylinder turbodiesels; the 1.7 SDI is the slowest of the three diesels, at 16.8 seconds to 100 km/h.

Lupo 3L: the 3-litre car

The Lupo 3L (Typ 6E) was Volkswagen's attempt to build the first series-production car that could use as little as 3 litres of fuel per 100 km. It combined the 1.2 TDI three-cylinder with aluminium and magnesium body and chassis parts, cutting the weight to 830 kg, and a drag coefficient of 0.29. The automated manual gearbox had a Tiptronic mode and an ECO mode that limited power and switched the engine off at stops, an early stop-start system. The same engine and gearbox went into the Audi A2 1.2 TDI 3L.

Independent drivers showed what it could do. In July 2001 Dr. Miyano averaged 2.36 l/100 km on a drive around Britain, and in November 2003 Gerhard Plattner averaged 2.78 l/100 km over 2,910 miles (about 4,680 km) through twenty countries.

Lupo GTI and Lupo FSI

The Lupo GTI arrived in 2000 and was presented as a spiritual heir to the original Golf GTI. Its 1.6 16V produces 92 kW (125 PS) and 152 Nm, enough for 0-100 km/h in 7.8 seconds and about 205 km/h. It is easy to spot: fully body-coloured bumpers, twin central exhausts and 15-inch alloy wheels. Bi-xenon headlights were standard, and from March 2002 the GTI had a six-speed manual.

The Lupo FSI (2000-2003) was the first Volkswagen production car with petrol direct injection. Its 1.4 16V FSI produces 77 kW (105 PS) and 130 Nm and averages 4.9 l/100 km, about 30% less fuel than a conventional engine of similar power. It was sold only in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and was the only Lupo version dropped before 2005.

Between the two sat the Lupo Sport, with the 74 kW (100 PS) 1.4 16V or the 55 kW (75 PS) 1.4 TDI, 14-inch alloys, front fog lights and larger front brake discs (256 mm instead of 239 mm).

Dimensions and boot

At about 3.5 m the Lupo is short enough for tight city parking; our size comparison tool shows it next to modern city cars. With a 130-litre boot, the Lupo is best seen as a car for two people with occasional rear passengers.

Fuel economy and running costs

Volkswagen's headline figures were those of the special versions: about 3 l/100 km for the Lupo 3L and 4.9 l/100 km for the FSI. Our sources give no official figures for the other engines, so we do not quote them. To estimate costs on your own mileage, use the fuel cost calculator.

Safety

We found no sourced Euro NCAP result for the Lupo, so we do not quote a rating. Any score from that period would also not be comparable with today's tests. Standard equipment varied by market and year, so check what the individual car has.

Reliability and known issues

Our sources contain no data on typical Lupo faults, so we list none. With the youngest cars now about 20 years old, service history and the condition of each car count for more than the engine choice. The 3L and FSI use technology that was new at the time; check that a specialist can service them before buying.

Rivals

The Arosa differs mainly in styling and equipment. The Fox that replaced the Lupo in Europe had no GTI, FSI or 3L counterpart; its most powerful European engine produced 55 kW (75 hp).

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