Will new VW T-Cross come to India as a sub-4m SUV?

Much has been spoken about Volkswagen’s newest and smallest SUV, the T-Cross, and about its arrival in India down the line. With the VW Group renewing its India offensive with the 2.0 program, they are aiming for a 5 per cent market share by 2025, which will be roughly around 2.5 lakh cars per annum, almost four to five times the current volumes.

To achieve the goal, Volkswagen Group, now led by Skoda, will need to have presence in the two highest selling segments – the sub-four metre SUV and the premium hatchbacks. And this is where the T-Cross fits like a glove. Skoda does have budget SUVs, the Kamiq and the Karoq, but they are budget cars by European standards. For the Indian market, the Kamiq ideally rivals the Creta or the Compass while the Karoq is a Hyundai Tucson rival.

The T-Cross measures 4100mm internationally and is built on the MQB platform. Well, Skoda is adapting the MQB platform for India, dubbed the MQB-A0-IN, which paves way for the T-Cross to come to India. But at 4100mm, it will not get the ‘small-car’ benefit which means it will be automatically pitted against the likes of the Renault Duster and the Hyundai Creta. The chances of its success in that segment are limited owing to its size-handicap. 

Hence, it is ideal for VW to bring it under 4m in length and that is possible because the MQB-A0-IN is being developed. Because then, it would also make sure that the Ameo lives on because VW has invested quite a bit in developing and marketing the sub-four metre sedan. Needless to say, the new Ameo can certainly wear the Skoda badge along with the Skoda-badged T-Cross.

Having two candidates in each of the segments – the premium-hatchback, the compact-sedan and the compact-SUV should help VW attain its 2025 target, especially when these segments contribute to almost 50 per cent of the overall volumes.