Volkswagen is reportedly ending production of the Up city car for the UK, pushing ahead with its electric plans.

The Volkswagen Up GTI was taken off sale in the UK at the start of 2023

The plans were revealed exclusively by Autocar, which said the diminutive model is no longer available in the UK for order direct from the factory, and have since been confirmed by Volkswagen. However, dealer stock remains available.

A spokesperson for the carmaker said: “Production of the Up and the e-Up at the Volkswagen plant in Bratislava will come to an end in the fourth quarter. Therefore individual configuration of the vehicle (on the UK and German websites) will no longer be possible. Customers can still contact their local Volkswagen retailer for information about pre-configured cars remaining in stock.”

The Up started UK sales in 2012 as part of the Volkswagen Group’s New Small Family (NSF) series of models, produced at the group’s Bratislava factory in Slovakia alongside the former SEAT Mii and Škoda Citigo sister cars. All featured a variety of powertrains, including all-electric variants and the GTI version that topped off the Up line-up. The latter was taken off sale at the start of 2023 after the brand said demand was exceeding supply.

The Up now follows its SEAT and Škoda brethren and a host of rival city cars such as the Citroën C1 and Peugeot 108 in being killed off – the result of changing buyer patterns and emissions laws.

For Volkswagen, the small car focus will now be on its Polo supermini ahead of the arrival of its ID.1 electric city car around 2027 and the ID.2 compact EV around 2025.