Ralf-Gerhard Willner, Director of Concept Development, and Walter de Silva summed up the concept behind the Up!: “Absolute harmony of the basic technological concept and the emotional aspects of the design can only be achieved in a hard clash of ideas between engineers and designers. That is the only way to produce icons.”

From the official Press Release:

Exterior design

The rear position of the engine has a decisive influence on the Up!'s exterior design.

It has no classic radiator grille; dominant design characteristics are the headlamps that take an inward and diagonal line, between them the horizontally arranged air vents, the VW logo (as one of the few details kept in chrome), the tailgate that extends far forward and the smooth bumper with a circumferential black stripe as a detail of the “happy face” that is typical of Volkswagen.

At the rear, the tailgate was produced using a transparent material. Under this gate developers also integrated the high layout of the taillights.

Another feature that is technically and visually new is the location of the VW logo in the tailgate; it is located behind glass and illuminates when the light is on.

The rear bumper was designed to match the “happy face” in front.

The powerful appearance of the up! is emphasized by a very wide track width (1.42 meters) relative to vehicle width. The wheels are flush with the sporty outboard wheel arches and side skirts.

The radial design of the wheels and surfaces extending right up to the edge of the rim make the 18-inch wheels appear significantly larger than they actually are.

Martin Winterkorn (right), and Walter de‘Silva	Walter de‘Silva with the full-scale clay model	Walter de‘Silva and Klaus Bischoff, Head of Volkswagen Design Center

The wheels that are arranged far outboard in the bumper areas reduce body overhangs to a minimum.

All of these features are part of an unmistakable side profile with a very long roof arch as well as clear and large surfaces.

Giving shape to its style here are the large doors and the lateral window surfaces, which incline sharply upward at the height of the rear wheel arch and thereby help to form the very independent C-pillar design.

Interior design

Inside, except for the driver’s seat, all other seats can be folded and removed.

Since they are designed as light shells, they can be quickly stowed in one of the cargo areas – besides the front trunk there is also one in the rear – to free up space.

Then, the entire passenger compartment length can be utilized as a storage area for especially bulky objects.

To improve comfort, air can be sucked out of the seat surfaces via a valve, so that seats can be adjusted to the body anatomies of the occupants.

The Up! has two central displays: a 8-inch monitor shows the driver key information and a 7-inch touch-screen monitor which reacts via proximity sensor to gestures, such as specific hand movements.

Chief Designer Klaus Bischoff comments: “[...] everything, every detail, was thought out anew. In the interior we have a touchscreen with new proximity sensor technology for controlling the navigation, radio, trip computer and climate control systems.

"It is operated absolutely intuitively. As a result, the most complicated functions can be controlled like child’s play.”

(Source: Volkswagen)