Ahead of the 2020 debut of the VW Group's mid-size SUV for India, a report on Mint states that the German group is in the process of introducing technologies such as augmented and virtual reality in its showrooms. The company is banking hard on the SUV to drive volumes and profitability and has tasked sister brand, Skoda, in 'Indian-izing' the vehicle to appeal to local taste.
The SUV will be based on the MQB A0 IN platform and will share some modules with the VW T-Cross (which is expected to be revealed at the Paris Motor Show in October 2018). Concerning design, Mr. Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, told IndianAutosBlog that the SUV will have "real SUV style with ruggedness, more ground clearance and high seating position". The executive stated that the Euro-spec T-Cross will look significantly softer when compared to its Indian counterpart, and the change in looks is attributed to India's dislike for CUV-type vehicles.
While the looks may be butch, the Indian T-Cross will not get AWD capability, Mr. Knapp confirmed. The front-wheel driven SUV will be powered by a 1.0-liter TSI petrol engine which VW will heavily localize in India. Expect this engine to be paired to a manual and DSG, the latter would be borrowed from the Polo and Vento TSI models and is a 7-speed unit. At launch, the SUV will be sold under the Skoda brand.
Also read: VW Vento & Skoda Rapid successors coming to India in 2021
When launched, competition will come chiefly from the Hyundai Creta (which is the reigning segment king) and mid-variants of the Jeep Compass. In terms of price, buyers will also compare the German SUV with the larger 7-seat Mahindra XUV500.
[Source - Livemint]
