GTI front section. Nothing about it has changed in the past 42 years: a GTI is immediately identifiable as a GTI. Indeed the GTI insignia are a kind of certificate of Volkswagen authenticity. At the front there is the red stripe across the radiator grille. Incorporated above it is the GTI logo. A further feature that all current GTI models have in common is the typical honeycomb pattern of the matt black radiator grille. Beyond that, the up! GTI does things its own way. For example, the characteristic transverse rod in the bumper comes in high-gloss black on the up! GTI. The round front fog lights and cornering lights are integrated to the left and right of this. The trim around this area is also painted in high-gloss black. It emphasises the width of the powerful up! GTI. A splitter (a front spoiler in motorsport style) marks the bottom of the bumper; above this splitter there is a further (very narrow) air intake for the turbocharged engine.
GTI side profile. The most powerful up! to date is also immediately recognisable as a GTI from the side. Here the up! cites the original GTI styling with features such as double stripes across the wide side sill panels. In a further nod to its heritage, the width and distance between the stripes is based on the dimensions of those on the first Golf GTI. The wing mirror caps match this in high-gloss black. Below them is, once again, the side GTI logo. The 17-inch alloy wheels that come as standard on the future up! GTI have been redesigned. They bear the name of the legendary "Brands Hatch" racetrack near London in the UK. Visible between the high-sheen spokes of the new wheels are red brake callipers on the front axle (the GTI is the first up! to be fitted with a 15-inch brake). The wheels, specially developed by Volkswagen R, have a particularly stylish look in the wheel housings. This is thanks to the wheel offset having been reduced by 4 mm and an increase of 8 mm in the track width on the front and rear axle. Fitted as standard, the sports running gear, inclusive of lowering by approx. 15 mm, also contributes to the more dynamic look.
GTI rear section. The boot doors of all up! models are black. This detail thus also automatically follows the colour scheme of the first Golf GTI. The black boot door is matched by tinted side windows at the rear. There is a restyled rear spoiler on top of the boot door, which makes the roof line appear longer. This black spoiler is larger than on all other up! models. However, this is not just a stylistic feature as the larger roof edge spoiler provides for greater downforce on the rear axle to help deliver optimised handling performance at higher speeds. In the lower area of the boot door a red trim stripe and the GTI logo identify the Volkswagen as the most powerful up! to date. Further GTI features include the matt black diffuser at the rear and the exhaust system's chrome-plated tailpipe.