VW Unveils T-Cross SUV

Volkswagen AG’s namesake brand took the wraps off its tiny T-Cross SUV/crossover vehicle on Thursday at multiple events around the world.

Based on VW Group’s MQB A0 supermini platform, the T-Cross sits on a 101-inch wheelbase and stretches 162 inches from bumper to bumper. The chassis also carries the Polo hatchback and SEAT Arona crossover.  

The five-seater features a sliding rear row to allow cargo capacity to be expanded from 13.6 cu-ft to about 16.1 cu-ft. Folding the rear seats down increases capacity to more than 45 cu-ft.

The T-Cross will share most of its components with the Polo, including engines and electronics. The new model also mimics the Polo’s interior layout and new digital instrument cluster.

Exterior design cues are borrowed from VW’s larger crossover models, giving the vehicle the front end of the Touareg and profile of the Tiguan. In the rear, the T-Cross gets a special taillight strip that helps widen the vehicle’s appearance.

Several driver assistance systems are standard on the T-Cross, such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, front assist with pedestrian monitoring, lane departure assist and rear traffic alert. Among the options are parking assist, keyless locking and wireless smartphone charging.

A range of small gasoline and diesel engines will be available in Europe. Production will begin later this year at VW facilities in Brazil, China and Spain.