Volkswagen unveiled the all-new T-Cross last week and the company has already confirmed the model won’t be offered in the United States.
The news wasn’t terribly surprising, but that doesn’t mean Volkswagen won’t offer an entry-level crossover in America. Sales of subcompact crossovers are booming and Jeep sold more than 100,000 Renegades in the United States last year alone. Volkswagen obviously wants a piece of that pie, but their most affordable crossover is currently the Tiguan which starts at $24,295.
In order to fill the gap in their lineup, the company is working on an all-new crossover which has been designed specifically for American consumers. While Volkswagen has a mixed track record with US-centric models, Car and Driver reports the subcompact crossover is being designed to compete with popular models such as the Renegade and Honda HR-V.
Little is known about the crossover at this point, but the publication suggests it won’t arrive until 2020. The model will definitely be late to the party, but it will likely ride on the MQB platform and feature a turbocharged four-cylinder engine as well as an optional all-wheel drive system.
While crossovers typically offer all-wheel drive, that’s not always the case in the subcompact category as both the Nissan Kicks and Toyota C-HR are front-wheel drive only. If Volkswagen’s crossover does indeed come with all-wheel drive, it’s probably a good move as Toyota’s North American executive vice president of sales has already admitted the lack of an all-wheel drive option is hurting sales of the C-HR.
Volkswagen is staying tight-lipped about the crossover, but the company’s decision not to bring the T-Roc to America suggests the upcoming crossover will be even larger than that model. There’s no word on how large the crosover will be, but expect it to fall somewhere in between the 166.7 inch (4,234 mm) T-Roc and 185.1 inch (4,702 mm) Tiguan.
Note: VW T-Roc pictured
