Volkswagen T-Cross facelift for emerging markets revealed

The Volkswagen T-Cross for emerging markets – an SUV that shares its underpinnings and more with the Taigun sold in India – has just been given a mid-cycle refresh. The T-Cross has been on sale in Brazil since April 2019, about a year more than the Taigun has been available in India; its facelift brings a few cosmetic changes outside and in, along with major feature updates. For Europe, the T-Cross has a slightly shorter version, which got a facelift a few months ago. 

1. T-Cross now has ADAS, panoramic sunroof, larger touchscreen
2. Also gets minor exterior and interior updates
3. Timing of Taigun facelift’s India launch unknown  

Volkswagen T-Cross facelift: what’s new?

The biggest changes come to this SUV’s features list. Range-topping variants now get ADAS tech, which includes functions from autonomous braking and lane-keeping assist to blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. In addition, top-spec trims get a panoramic sunroof, an 8-way powered driver’s seat, a larger 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen – that can also access the climate control system – and soft-touch materials on the doors.

Exterior modifications are relatively minor. There are new front and rear bumpers, reprofiled LED headlights, new LED detailing in the tail-lights, and fresh 17-inch alloy wheels. Some of these changes were seen in the test mule that was spied on. The T-Cross facelift’s cabin features a tweaked dash design, which includes restyled AC vents, and different upholstery for the seats with the T-Cross logo. The 1.0-litre turbo-petrol and 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engines from VW’s TSI family stay in the updated T-Cross. 

Volkswagen T-Cross facelift: India relevance

Considering that the T-Cross and Taigun share the for-emerging markets MQB-A0 platform, the two SUVs have much in common. In fact, as the T-Cross launch preceded Taigun’s, the South American model gave us a good indication of what we could expect in India.

However, there’s no word from VW India on introducing a facelift for the Taigun anytime soon. The German brand is working on bringing the seven-seat Tayron here in 2025 and an affordable EV in 2026, and is scouting for a local partner to help reduce costs on its range of upcoming low-cost electric vehicles based on the MEB21G EV architecture. It is also evaluating the viability of reintroducing the GTI brand in the country.