Volkswagen’s charming little Up had a mid-life nip and tuck in 2016, with a lightly-revised interior and tweaked face.

Considering the next most expensive model in the range – the more powerful 89bhp 1.0-litre High Up – costs under £13k, this all-electric e-Up is the motoring equivalent of having a Smeg fridge (especially in this particular gloss white paint finish).

For starters, there’s the premium £20,780 pricetag (including £4500 government grant), followed by the cool boxy looks and compromised practicality over its larger, cheaper rivals.

It even sounds like a fridge, thanks to that sound generator whirring away. All it needs now is a set of giant chrome door handles and some milk inside.

Have you had enough fridge references?

We’ll move on. As well as experiencing the near-silent treatment as one zips by you, you can identify this e-Up by its signature C-shaped daytime-running lights and blue strip across the bonnet line.

Does it feel like a white good on the road then?

The best bit about the e-Up is the joyous, slightly addictive immediacy off the line that’s lacking in the rest of the range. Think more BMW i3 for urgency rather than the more docile, cheaper Renault Zoe and this makes for an ideal way to dart around stop-start traffic. 

Combine this whizzy electric powertrain with the small footprint and weighty steering and the result is a package with an air of agility and fun about it. The last time we smiled this much in a small EV was in a Smart ForTwo, except this time we didn’t feel quite as sick afterwards.

For the full details on the e-Up, including charge times and why it’s not quite the perfect EV, head on over the to the full review below.

Source: VW e-Up (2017) review by CAR Magazine