When Volkswagen first presented their 1.0TSI engine, we were not very sure if it would be a wise choice as an engine for any of its most popular models. Imagine powering up a 1.2ton Golf with a 3 cylinder engine that just barely makes 100hp. Neither pretty, nor nice to drive. That was, on paper.
What we did not consider was the new UP and the 1.0TSI engine being very tuning-friendly. Being tiny and very light really helps with performance. With an interior that closely matches that of a Polo GTI and surprising space for four people onboard, the Up is a very quick little car specially made for daily city driving. Not being able to resist tuning it, the little car came with an upgraded cat-back exhaust. On dyno it made 126hp on the stock map. After our custom remap, power rose to 144hp! Closely matching the power produced after tuning by the new 1liter Ford Fiestas, this is definitely going to be an interesting performance matchup.
Upgrade specifications
- 98RON fuel
- Upgraded exhaust – stock cat converter
- #Etuners Stage2 ECU remap
Performance results
- Maximum engine power: 144.4 hp (measured stock with upgraded exhaust at 126hp), gains 18hp
- Maximum engine torque: 189 ft*lbs (measured stock with upgraded exhaust at 172ft(lbs), gains 17 ft*lbs
