7 SUVs Volkswagen Is Working On For Global Markets
A Polo hatch-based SUV is likely to enter India by 2018 with localized production.
Volkswagen is trying to address the gulf in its global SUV line-up with a host of new products, amidst the brand’s damaged reputation across the globe following the DieselGate emission scandal. The company is working on seven new SUVs that are to go on sale by the end of this decade. The catch here is to cover prime market segments, including compact (supermini) and large premium off-roaders. There is also a radical turn towards electrification as well. VW’s latest SUV blitz appears not so easy, as these new cars shoulder the mighty task of fixing the brand’s tarnished image after the emission scandal.
#1. VW Atlas/ Teramont 7-seater
Revealed just few weeks ago, the new Atlas is the brand’s first-ever seven-seat big SUV measuring around 5.03 metres in length. Built on the popular MQB as the Skoda Kodiaq, the Atlas’s blunt front-end and squared-off bonnet design along with chunky SUV stance is interestingly new for the brand. The cabin space is well-acclaimed, while the engine line-up includes two petrol (including a TSI turbo) and a diesel unit. The SUV will be sold as ‘Teramont’ in the Chinese market.
Rivals: Skoda Kodiaq, Ford Explorer, Toyota Highlander
#2. Polo-based SUV
Conceived as the smallest SUV of the brand, a whole new model based on the Polo hatch is on the anvil. Slated to enter market by 2018, the new SUV is likely to embrace MQB AO platform as the next-gen Polo. Design and styling will be based on the VW T-Cross Breeze concept from the Geneva Motor Show this year. India will be one among the select market to receive the car, with local assembly and even design studio to cater to the Asian region.
Rivals: Renault Duster, Hyundai Creta, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza
#3. Golf-based SUV
This one will be slightly larger than the Polo SUV, but will simultaneously arrive with its sibling by 2018. Design will be influenced by the T-Roc SUV concept that may break cover by the 2017 Geneva show. Since the mid-size Tiguan has grown little bigger, the Golf SUV seems fits within the existing SUV line-up of VW.
Rivals: Mazda CX 3, Honda HR-V, Nissan Juke
#4. VW Tiguan
The new-generation Tiguan is already here, catering to the mid-size SUV segment somewhere between the mass-market and the premium category. Based on the flexible MQB platform, the car also features sophisticated interiors and engine line-up, including a Tiguan GTE plug-in hybrid. Tiguan’s Indian launch is still awaited, hopefully by next year. It was previewed at the 2016 Delhi Auto expo early this year.
Rivals: Nissan Qashqai, BMW X1
#5. Tiguan XL
Expected by mid-2017, the XL is nothing but a long wheelbase variant of the latest Tiguan. Primary markets for this 7-seater is again China and USA.
Rivals: BMW X3, Audi Q5,
#6. Next-Gen Touareg
Once the only popular SUV of the brand, the new Touareg will be completely new both in built and design. The T-Prime concept gives up the clue of how best the SUV may look. The Touareg will go on sale by 2018.
Rivals: Land Rover Discovery, BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE
#7. 4×4 Electric SUV
VW is pledging on over 30 new electric vehicles by 2025. The company gave us a hint at its visionary future just recently via its I.D. all-electric concept. Therefore, a flag-ship electric-only 4×4 off-roader is highly likely, probably sometime around the end of this decade.
Also Read: Volkswagen Plans To Improve Product Range With New Cars After Low Sales
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