VW Lupo was the first small car series produced by Volkswagen

The Lupo was part of the VW Group’s first European small car model series and was introduced in autumn 1998. In spring 1997, Seat had launched the almost identical Arosa on the market. A diesel version of the Lupo, available from 1999, was advertised as a three-liter car in terms of consumption of just 2.99 liters of fuel per 100 km.

VW Lupo (1998-2005)

The vehicle was only available in three doors and has either four or five seats. It had a rather small trunk, which could be enlarged considerably by folding the back seat.


The Lupo was built in Wolfsburg until mid-2001. The production (with the exception of the 3L-Lupo ) was then relocated to the VW plant in Brussels.

Almost 490,000 vehicles of this type were produced. The sales figures have increased annually since the market launch up to the year 2000, after which the production has been steadily reduced.

Rear view

Production of the VW Lupo was discontinued in summer 2005. The Lupo market segment was occupied by Volkswagen with the VW Fox made in Brazil. The Fox variants for the Mexican market were offered there under the name Lupo.

“Lupo” is the Italian word for Wolf and is an allusion to the main plant in Wolfsburg.

Variants

The Lupo was available in the three variants “Basis”, “Comfortline” and “GTI”. The standard safety equipment includes airbags for the driver and front passenger, an electronic immobilizer and a third brake light. The interior includes heating, headrests at the front and rear, a tachometer in the dashboard and height adjustment for the driver’s seat.

Engines

Initially, only the naturally aspirated diesel with 44 kW (60 hp) and petrol engines with 37 kW (50 hp) and 55 kW (75 hp) were available. In 1999 the two TDI engines with 45 kW (61 HP) and 55 kW (75 HP) and the 16V petrol engine with 74 kW (101 HP) came onto the market. The latter motorization stands out due to a centrally positioned tailpipe. The gap between the two smallest petrol engines was filled by a 44 kW (60 hp) unit from 2000.


This was followed in 2000 by the GTI with 92 kW (125 hp) and an FSI with 77 kW (105 hp), which was delivered with the body of the 3L-Lupo. The FSI was the only variant that was not produced until 2005, but was discontinued in 2003. The offered OHV -1 liter engine was derived from the 1.3 liter Škoda Felicia / Favorit engine. Thus, it is the same engine that in recent years the Škoda 130 was installed as a rear-mounted engine.

Lupo 3L TDI

The Lupo 3L TDI (Type 6E) was released in 1999 and, with a third mix of standard consumption of 2.99 liters of diesel fuel per 100 km, is the world’s first fully-fledged 3-liter car. A 3-cylinder in-line engine with unit injector is installed ; the body has a c w value at 0.29.

In addition to the development of an economical engine, lightweight construction techniques were used. This includes the use of the light metal aluminum, in some parts also with magnesium in the alloy. As a result, some components also had to be newly developed. In addition, the panes are made of thinner glass. This saved around 150 kg of weight compared to the VW Lupo SDI.

VW Lupo 3L TDI (from model year 2002)

The aerodynamics of the tailgate have been optimized and it was made in composite technology from different aluminum alloys (with magnesium inside).

The reduction in weight, in conjunction with the energy-saving tires (stipulated for the use of the tax advantages), led to problems with driving behavior: in particular, the vehicle loaded with only one driver showed a strong tendency to oversteer. In order to be able to maintain the already developed tailgate and the existing production facilities, lead weights were installed in the rear bumper as an interim solution. This composite flap was only installed until May 2001; from model year 2002 VW built the steel tailgate of the normal Lupos. The starter battery was already available for the 2001 model year (from 06/2000) built into the spare wheel well in the trunk to put more strain on the rear wheels. With this measure one of the 7 kg additional weights could be omitted. Likewise, it was no longer possible to order an emergency bike instead of the standard breakdown kit. Together with the battery and the heavier tailgate, the lead weights previously used could be omitted.

Rear of the Lupo 3L TDI

The on-board electronics of a mounted between the rear wheel house and the driver’s door boost converter supplied with constant 14 volts, when the starter can break the on-board voltage.

The bonnet and doors were made entirely of aluminum. An automatic gearbox ensures an early upshift and therefore low engine speeds. The gearbox has a long translation. Technically, it is a special solution: a conventional transmission and clutch are actuated by hydraulics. The exchange of such a transmission is relatively expensive.

Due to the limited functionality (three-door, small trunk, little space in the rear), the high purchase price and the resulting long amortization period, the VW Lupo 3L TDI did not open up a wide range of buyers. Critics accused VW of having implemented an alibi project with this model and price policy.


With a pollutant emission of 81 grams of CO 2 per kilometer, the VW Lupo 3L meets the criteria for tax classification as a three-liter car in Germany (max. 90 g CO 2 / km). It was also the first diesel-powered car to meet the Euro 4 emissions standard. Early VW Lupo 3L models only meet the Euro 3 emissions standard. The expansion of the automatic start-stop system by freewheeling (rolling when the clutch is open) helps to save fuel and thus reduce exhaust emissions.

After the end of series production of the other Lupo models, the 3L (as well as the GTI) continued to be built until early summer 2005. As of May 2005, it could no longer be ordered. A diesel particulate filter was never offered by Volkswagen for the Lupo 3L, not even for an additional charge or as a retrofit kit. A green fine dust sticker is also assigned to the vehicle without a filter.

Lupo GTI

Until 2002, the Lupo GTI was initially produced at the main Wolfsburg plant and from 2003 in Brussels, Belgium. Due to the rather low demand and the new entry-level Fox model, production was discontinued.

VW Lupo GTI

The 1.6-liter 16V engine (equipped with an intake cam adjustment ) with standard six-speed gearbox (from year of construction 2001) and front-wheel drive with an output of 92 kW (125 hp) at 6500 / min and a torque of 152 Newton meters at 3000 / min took 8.2 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour; the top speed was 205 km / h. The manufacturer stated an average consumption of 7.3 liters of Super Plus (98 octane) per 100 km. The engine complied with the Euro 4 emissions standard.

The screwed fenders, the doors and the bonnet were made of aluminum. As in the 3L, the battery was installed in the rear for weight distribution, a spare wheel was not provided.

Interior of the Lupo GTI

The vehicle was lowered by 20 millimeters, had flared fenders, side skirts, 205/45 R 15 V tires, a double tailpipe exhaust in the middle and an enlarged rear spoiler. The interior had sports seats with red seams, red seat belts, aluminum pedals, a height-adjustable steering wheel, a combination instrument with chrome rings and chrome-plated hands and outside temperature display. The steering wheel, shift bag and handbrake lever were made of leather. The headlining, the grab handles and the sun visors were different from the standard model in black. Standard bi-xenon headlights and Bosch “Aerotwin” windshield wipers were installed.

Disc brakes front and rear, side airbags, ABS, ASR and ESP ensured safety. The Lupo GTI could be ordered in the exterior paint finishes black, tornado red / flash red, ravenna blue / laser blue, reflex silver / moonsilver and blue anthracite. The exact color code for the colors red, blue and silver was dependent on the model year.

Author: Nabeel K
Email: nabeel@wheelsjoint.com



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