Volkswagen India will showcase the made-for-India T-Cross SUV in New Delhi at the 2020 Auto Expo in February. The SUV will be shown to the audience for the first time in pre-production form at the event.
The India-bound Volkswagen T-Cross SUV will see a market launch sometime in 2021. The model will be built on the longer (and more affordable) version of the MQB A0 platform used in markets like South America and China. The company will customise the T-Cross for our country and build it on a modified-for-India version of the MQB platform, known as MQB A0 IN.
On the outside, the T-Cross will get VW's family look. This will be quite similar to the model sold abroad, albeit with some country-specific styling tweaks. Volkswagen will add more chrome to the SUV's front styling, especially on the grille and the front bumper area which could mean the SUV here may resemble the one already on sale in China.
The India-bound Volkswagen T-Cross’ 2,651mm wheelbase is a substantial 90-100mm longer than the European-spec version. This means that this T-Cross will also have longer doors and a more spacious cabin. Volkswagen will liberate the all the extra space between the wheels so that the rear passengers benefit from much more legroom. On the inside, the SUV will feature plush interiors with colour-coded bits for some variants. Expect the India-spec model to be loaded with a long list of features – including a decent-sized infotainment system replete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a sunroof.
The Volkswagen T-Cross will get a higher 205mm ground clearance to help the SUV deal better with Indian road conditions and give it a proper SUV stance. The axle and suspension setup for the India-bound model will be different too, and will be tweaked to suit Indian driving conditions.
The T-Cross will come with two petrol engine options for India. The mainstay will be a 130hp, 1.5-litre, four-cylinder EVO TSI petrol. This engine will feature cylinder-deactivation technology as well, which is likely to help it achieve better fuel economy figures. Additionally, there could also be a 115hp, 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine for the lower variant. This engine will be a three-cylinder unit and will be shared with other Volkswagen models here as well. No diesel engine shall be on offer. Volkswagen, though, is likely to introduce a CNG powered model for the T-Cross in the market.
The T-Cross will be a sister product to Skoda's SUV (likely to be called the Kamiq) in India, which will be built on the MQB AO IN platform too. The Skoda Kamiq will share some interior bits and body panels with the T-Cross and will launch in India first. Skoda will also showcase a pre-production version of the Kamiq SUV at Auto Expo 2020.
The new Volkswagen T-Cross and Skoda Kamiq are part of the Volkswagen Group's India 2.0 strategy in which both brands will introduce new models in the sedan market segment.
Key rivals to the VW T-Cross and Skoda Kamiq will be the Kia Seltos, the next-gen Hyundai Creta, Tata Harrier, MG Hector, Renault Captur and the Nissan Kicks to name a few.
Suraj Viswanathan
Dipan Sur
Lenny D'sa
Viraaj Bhatnagar
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Ameya Dandekar
