India-bound Volkswagen’s compact SUV spotted testing

-    Volkswagen is set to launch a new crossover based on the new-gen Polo this year.

-    This new car will lead the charge for a new generation of VW vehicles in India.

-    Will be based on the MQB-A0 platform and will offer both petrol and diesel engine options.

Volkswagen’s new upcoming crossover based on the new-gen Polo has been spotted once again been put through its paces in Germany. This time around, the test mule was wearing minimal faux covering which VW uses in the final stages of testing. 

We know the new crossover will be positioned below the recently launched T-Roc and will be called the T-Cross. It will borrow the styling from its bigger siblings, the Tiguan and the new-gen Touareg. VW showcased the new crossover in the concept guise at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show as the T-Cross Breeze, thus giving us an idea of how the production model will look like. 

The headlights and tail lights on the test mule are still hidden under the fake stickers but we expect them to sport the same design elements as other VW SUVs. So the grille will get full-width horizontal louvres, there will be sharp creases all around with a subtle overall appearance. Being a baby SUV, we expect Volkswagen to add funky colour options and a dual-tone paint job as well. The cabin will be feature loaded with a host of active and passive safety equipment.  

The T-Cross crossover is one of the 19 SUVs the German giant plans to launch by 2020. It is also an important product for Volkswagen India. As a part of India offensive 2.0 program, VW will position the T-Cross as their take in the high-selling sub-four metre SUV segment. In India, the T-Cross will adopt the MQB-A0-IN platform developed specially for India. This will help it cut the overall size under four metres as compared to international spec’s 4100mm length. This will automatically make the T-Cross a direct rival to the segment leader Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza in the country. 

Volkswagen will reveal the new T-Cross in the international markets towards the end of this year. However, we’ll have to wait for another year or two for the T-Cross to be developed, manufactured and sold in India.