The Lupo is the smallest car manufactured by Volkswagen. It was introduced in 1999 to fill a gap at the bottom of the VW model range caused by the increasing size and weight of the VW Polo.
The car is available with a variety of engine sizes and trim levels, from budget models through to the GTI variant. The 6-speed GTI has been labelled a true successor to the VW Golf Mk.1, the first true hot hatch. Rivals include the Ford Ka and the Fiat Panda.
Various special-edition and test models have set records in fuel economy. The lightweight nature of the car and advanced 3-cylinder diesel engine have resulted in a production model (the Lupo 3L) that can consume as little as 3 liters per 100 kilometers (78 miles per US gallon or 94 miles per Imperial gallon). It was rumoured that it was this model that encouraged Renault to produced the Clio V6, since they assumed 3L stood for a 3-litre engine.
The SEAT Arosa is a badge-engineered version of the Lupo.
Production of the Lupo will cease in 2005, with only the 3L and GTI models continuing production. It has already been replaced by the VW Fox.
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