Wolfsburg plans SUV blitz in just about every segment
If you thought that the Range Rover Evoque Convertible would be all alone in the premium crossover drop-top field, you’ve probably forgotten that German automakers like to leave no new segment entry unanswered.
To this end, Volkswagen rolled out the T-Cross Breeze concept at the Geneva motor show on Tuesday: a four-seat convertible crossover that is a couple of sizes smaller than the Evoque cabrio. VW says this concept offers a look at a “newly developed SUV model series.”
The concept may look big in photos, but in reality, it’s almost 10 inches shorter than a Ford Focus hatch, measuring 162.7 inches from end to end.
The T-Cross Breeze is powered by a 1.0-liter inline three-cylinder engine churning out 109 hp and 129 lb-ft of torque, with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic sending that modest amount of power to the front wheels. The convertible is not meant to drag race anything, so a sprint from 0 to 60 takes 10.3 seconds; the point of this concept is to admire the scenery. The tradeoff is that it returns a combined 47 mpg in the European cycle, and on a full tank, it should be able to cover 497 miles, at least in theory.
Volkswagen is in the midst of expanding its CUV and SUV offerings, though something like this would be positioned below the Tiguan.
What are its chances of going into production?
“At the moment the T-Cross Breeze is purely a concept, but we can well imagine putting such a convertible on the market as a production model,” said Dr. Herbert Diess, the chairman of the board of management, Volkswagen Brand. “This is an affordable, fun car that is also entirely suitable for everyday use — it’s a genuine ‘people’s car."”
That’s about as close as “we are going to make this thing tomorrow!” that one can get from German executives. Whether the U.S. will receive it is another question. But it’s best to consider this concept as a preview crossover positioned below the Tiguan.
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The T-Cross Breeze aims for a segment well below the Evoque.
In fact, VW spilled a good amount of info about its SUV plans just as it rolled out the T-Cross Breeze. The company said that the Tiguan will go on sale in Europe next month — we’ll get that one later in 2016 with an extended wheelbase.
“(The Tiguan) will be followed by a new midsize SUV for the U.S. and China as well as the well-known premium segment Touareg sport utility vehicle,” Volkswagen said in a press release. “Below the Tiguan, two new SUV models will make their debut: in the Golf class there will be an SUV that is similar to the T-Roc concept car, while the T-Cross Breeze moves into the Polo size range.”
If the production version stays within the price range of a Polo, we think we might see many converts to the idea of a CUV convertible. We just hope VW doesn’t call it the Breeze — we still see those Plymouths limping around with hiccups from misfires.
Imagine it with a top: Volkswagen T-Cross Breeze previews breezy pocket CUV
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