Volkswagen may have sat cold for a while, but it’s planning a storm of launches for the next few years now. The first among these will be the VW T-Roc and the VW Tiguan Allspace, both of which will have their Indian debut at Auto Expo 2020. The VW T-Roc's Indian launch will coincide with its market debut.
In terms of dimensions and pricing, the VW T-Roc falls right between the VW T-Cross B-SUV and the VW Tiguan C-SUV. Volkswagen plans to replace the VW Tiguan with the VW Tiguan Allspace in India next year. The latter is longer (+215 mm), has a longer wheelbase (+110 mm) and is made in 5- and 7-seat versions. India will get it in only the 7-seat version.
The VW T-Roc will be positioned above the VW MQB A0 IN SUV, which will be basically a VW T-Cross spinoff. The replacement of the VW Tiguan with the VW Tiguan Allspace will leave more room for the VW T-Roc to play in. It won’t come cheap, though. While the VW MQB A0 IN SUV will be manufactured with heavy localisation and the VW Tiguan Allspace will be assembled in India, the VW T-Roc will be imported as a CBU. It will be a niche product loaded with almost all the goodies on offer in Europe.
Volkswagen has decided to launch the T-Roc only because of the relaxed import norms. However, this also means that no more than 2,500 units will be up for grabs annually. With a sticker price of around INR 20 lakh (ex-showroom), though, it’s not as if there will be a lot of takers for this Palmela, Portugal-made SUV.
The VW T-Roc will be the torchbearer of the 1.5-litre TSI Evo petrol engine in India. The Volkswagen Group's ubiquitous turbocharged four-cylinder mill engine is offered in the 150 PS/250 Nm version and with cylinder deactivation technology in this model. The VW Tiguan Allspace will also be sold in India with a 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine, but its specifications are unknown. 7-speed DCT and FWD drivetrain layout will be common to both the models.
Also Read: Old VW Passat discontinued in India, facelifted model incoming?
The VW Tiguan is priced from INR 28.14 (ex-showroom Delhi). The VW Tiguan Allspace should have a starting price of around INR 30 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
[Source 1: auto.ndtv.com]
[Source 2: auto.ndtv.com]
