Volkswagen's cheapest European car swapped nameplates but not its job — the Brazilian-built Fox stepped in to replace the Lupo as VW's entry-level city car.
Lead trim: Fox 1.2 I3 petrol (55 hp) · up to 75 hp
Volkswagen Fox2005–2011
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Volkswagen Fox yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactVolkswagen's cheapest European car swapped nameplates but not its job — the Brazilian-built Fox stepped in to replace the Lupo as VW's entry-level city car.
The Fox was introduced to Europe at the AMI Leipzig Motor Show in April 2005, as a three-door hatchback only, replacing the Lupo city car as the entry-level car in the lineup until it was stopped in 2011 (later replaced by the Volkswagen up!). It launched with three engine options: a 1.2 L 55 hp I3 and a 1.4 L 75 hp I4 petrol, and a 1.4 L TDI diesel, the 75 hp engine all-new and the other two inherited from the Polo; the drag coefficient is 0.32. It was sold with a long options list to keep its price down, coming with standard twin airbags and anti-lock brakes, and scored four stars in EuroNCAP on debut. Like the contemporary Polo it is based on the PQ24 platform. The page gives the TDI as 51 kW (69 hp) in its text and 52 kW (70 hp) in its table, so no horsepower is entered for it.
Collectors Spotted in the Volkswagen Fox Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Volkswagen Fox yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox 1.2 I3 petrol (55 hp) | 2005–2011 | 1.2 L Inline-3 | 55 hp | 80 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| Fox 1.4 BKR I4 petrol (75 hp) | 2005–2011 | 1.4 L Inline-4 | 75 hp | 91 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| Fox 1.4 TDI I3 diesel | 2005–2011 | 1.4 L Inline-3 | 70 hp | 114 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Volkswagen's cheapest European car swapped nameplates but not its job — the Brazilian-built Fox stepped in to replace the Lupo as VW's entry-level city car.
VW couldn't sell a car called 'Fox' in Mexico while Vicente Fox was president — so south of the border, this generation was badged Lupo instead.
VW's cheap-and-cheerful Fox was priced so aggressively against Japanese rivals that Volkswagen of America actually lost money on every single one sold in its early years.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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