Overall rating:

With worldwide targets of average CO₂ ratings to be 95g/km by 2020 - and just 20g/km by 2050 - Volkswagen is committed to a CNG-fuelled future, and the ECO up! is the latest model to join its line-up. Offering a regular experience from behind the wheel but emissions of only 79g/km (and a range of 373 miles) from a single fill it promises much, but can it deliver?

Key Facts

Model tested: Volkswagen ECO up!
Pricing: €12,950
Engine: 1.0-litre, three-cylinder CNG
Transmission: five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Body style: five-door hatchback
Rivals: Honda Jazz Hybrid, Smart Fortwo EV, Toyota Yaris Hybrid
CO₂ emissions: 79g/km
Range: 373 miles
Top speed: 104mph
0-62mph: 15.8 seconds
Power: 67hp

In the Metal:

Well this most eco-friendly of up!s looks exactly like any other; in fact the only thing that gives it away is the subtle ECO badging on the tailgate - it even retains the standard petrol cap to hide the CNG nozzle.

Inside, the petrol fuel gauge now houses both the CNG level and petrol reserve level in one, and if you specify the 'Maps and More' satnav it will find the nearest CNG-equipped fuel station for you. Otherwise it's standard up! fare, with quality materials and a restrained but neat design. Thanks to clever packaging of the CNG tanks there's no loss of interior space so the ECO up! remains suitable for a full complement of passengers too.

Driving it:

If you were to describe the experience in one word it'd be 'conventional'. Unlike plenty of other eco cars, especially those powered by electric or a mixture of batteries and internal combustion engine, the ECO up! requires no change in driving style or technique and feels utterly normal in all situations.

And that really is the majority of its appeal summed up. Turn the key and the 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine fires up directly on CNG (unless the ambient temperature is below -10 degrees C) and the fuel gauge first shows you how much reserve petrol is left before moving onto CNG levels.

On the move it spins freely and sounds just like the petrol-powered cars with a distinctive three-cylinder thrum at high throttle loads and a hushed tone at cruising speeds. Performance is similar also, with the 0-62mph dash completed in 15.8 seconds, though in truth it always feels much more willing than that on the road.

There's almost no change in weight either, the CNG tanks being offset by the smaller (10-litre) petrol tank, so from behind the wheel there's no noticeable difference in the way the ECO up! changes direction. A smattering of body roll is noticeable, but the payoff is decent ride quality. The eager steering remains and the five-speed manual gearbox is light and easy to use, though this left-hand drive example did have a curiously long throw into top gear.

What you get for your Money:

In Germany the ECO up! costs around €2,000 more (call it £1,600) than a similarly specified petrol model and it's available in take, move and high trim levels, but will actually return that initial investment and start paying back after only 34,000 miles. So as a long term investment the ECO up! actually makes plenty of sense, assuming that the price of CNG remains around half that of diesel.

There are some specific CNG parts included of course, to take advantage of the fuel's extra calorific properties, such as new spark plugs, camshafts, valves, pistons, catalytic converters, lambda sensors and the fuel rail.

Worth Noting

Volkswagen has been making Compressed Natural Gas powered cars for twenty years now, and you can specify CNG versions of the Passat, Touran or Caddy. It even races CNG-powered Sciroccos in a one-make series and at the Nürburgring 24 hours. So you could say that the firm is committed to a CNG-shaped future, with Dr Martin Winterkorn saying "we must focus more on CNG technology in the next few years than ever before". The ECO up! will be joined by a bi-fuel Golf Mk 7 that will offer a combined range of 789 miles on a single fill.

Summary

There's plenty to recommend the ECO up! here, including its ability to feel exactly like any other up! in the range. There's no real penalty for choosing this most efficient model, with similar performance, handling, looks and feel from behind the wheel - and all the gains of low emissions, a decent range and fuel that, in Germany at least, is half the price of diesel. We'd have one tomorrow, were it not for the fact that the UK only has around 12 CNG-equipped fuel stations - the main reason Volkswagen isn't offering the excellent ECO up! here at all.