Volkswagen announced that 2016 will be a year of new beginnings and the first step seems to be the T-Cross. It is a convertible SUV but the smallest one the German manufacturer has ever built and is based on the Volkswagen Polo. The T-Cross has been unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show and is said to give a sneak peek to the future cars Volkswagen plans to build.
The T-Cross is not a sub-four metre car and measures 4133mm in length. The extra length is by virtue of the wheelbase that is extended by 96mm. The 162mm of extra length will provide better cabin space and also a bigger boot (pegged at 300 litres) to house the convertible top and luggage. Now that the numbers are past us, you would notice that the T-Cross breaks away from the Volkswagen family face though not that much. It still carries the clean straight lines but the front grille is wider and has the headlamps almost embedded into it. The headlamps, fog-lamps, the daytime running lamps and tail lamps are all LED. The side profile reminds you of the Audi A3 cabriolet though this one is shorter and will certainly be taller. The big 19-inch wheels, body cladding and slightly flared wheel arches add character to the crossover SUV.
Under the hood, Volkswagen has deployed the 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that develops 109bhp of power. The T-Cross is expected to return a fuel efficiency of 20kmpl. The cabin is tech laden. Volkswagen has done away with switches and uses human-machine interface. While most switches have been replaced by touch-panels, Volkswagen also plans to integrate gesture control. The infotainment system has been co-developed with BeatsAudio and is compatible with Apple Car Play, Android Auto and MirrorLink systems.
The Volkswagen T-Cross, at the first glance, may not really come out as a relevant car for India. But, with a few nips and tucks, the wheelbase of the Polo, a hard-top and four doors later, Volkswagen may have a Ford Ecosport and Vitara Brezza rival on the cards.
