The Volkswagen Up GTI will start from £13,750

Volkswagen has announced UK pricing for the Up GTI. It’ll start at £13,750 for the three door with the five door costing £400 more. There, that’s not too scary is it? In fact, in the modest pantheon of affordable fun cars this looks particularly tempting. A basic Mini starts from £15,900, a Fiat 500 starts at £11,615 and neither of those puts sporting fun at the top of the menu. Or is remotely as spritely as the Up.

How spritely? 0-62mph in 8.8secs and a 122mph top speed. Not fast, but hey, as quick as an original Golf GTI. Power and weight, as you’re probably well aware, are broadly the same as the 1976 original - 115bhp meets 1,070kg. Perhaps a bit lardy for a small car, but we can forgive it that since it does such a great job of looking the part - tartan seat fabric, red-rimmed grille, side stripes and so on.

In the UK standard spec will include Bluetooth, heated seats, USB, DAB, aircon and heated seats. Enough, in other words. An affordable car, that’s affordable to run too, promising 127g/km of CO2 and 50.4mpg. You’ll never get that of course, because you’ll be having way too much fun making the most of the six-speed manual (no double clutch nonsense here) and turbocharged 1.0-litre three cylinder motor. Peppy describes it quite well. It doesn’t rev high but as we’ve found out when we’ve driven it before, the Up GTI makes up for that with sheer enthusiasm.

With a new Suzuki Swift Sport not due for many months yet and Renault showing no sign of Renaultsporting a Twingo, the Up GTI should cultivate itself a nice little niche this year. Sales split is expected to favour the five door (60 per cent) and order books open on the 6th February. First deliveries follow before the end of the month.