Volkswagen's new Up small car has yet to go on sale in the UK, but the company is already working on a handful of versions it aims to get to market within the next few months and years including a hot GT model and a battery electric E Up.

Ulrich Hackenburg. VW's research head, admits that the market for small diesels is slow in these tiny cars, but he is still persevering with his 800cc parallel-twin turbodiesel Up. This engine comes out of the XL1 super-eco car and is one half of a Polo 1.6-litre turbodiesel, produced in aluminium, with plasma-sprayed bores and pistons instead of iron wet liners and a balance shaft to reduce vibrations. It produces 47bhp and 88.5lb ft of torque with economy to match. Asked how soon we might get this diminutive oil burner, he grins and says "soon." In the meantime, here's our impressions of the best of the rest. VW Up five-door (on sale this autumn) It's just another set of doors, but it's hard to deny that the five-door version of Volkswagen's tiddler strikes an altogether more handsome mien as it stretches the eye along the bodywork, making it look a lot less like a Toyota Aygo/Peugeot 107/Citroën C1. Each door will cost a whisker under £200 when the Up five-door goes on sale in the UK this autumn. So that's about £8,370 for a car which looks better, is a deal more practical and that will occupy most of the market anyway.