VW plans SUV onslaught
German giant plots a pair of sub-compact SUVs and a US-focused seven-seater to help it forge past Toyota and GMVolkswagen plans to expand its burgeoning product portfolio with the addition of three new SUV models as part of its bid to usurp Toyota and GM to become the world’s largest car-maker by 2018.
One of the proposed new models will reportedly be a US-focused seven-seater, based on the American-market Passat, that will slot in between the Tiguan and Touareg, but more relevant to Australians is a mini-SUV that will be based on the next-generation Polo and pitched against the likes of the Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman.
According to reports, the new Polo-based SUV will be the first compact Volkswagen to use the company’s flexible MQB platform that also forms the basis for the new Golf 7.
Autocar suggests the vehicle will be closely mirror the dimensions of the upcoming Audi Q2, which was previewed at the recent Paris motor show by the Crosslane Coupe concept.
The British publication gleaned from VW R&D chief Ulrich Hackenberg that an SUV in the ‘A0 segment’ — VW’s code for supermini-sized models — was at the top of the company’s priority list for new model development.
“We have to increase our SUV offerings,” he told Autocar. “It’s important we get in the A0 SUV segment, and we’re working on it.” Although Mr Hackenberg didn’t confirm a precise launch date, he hinted to the magazine it could arrive in 2014.
Visually, some clues to the baby SUV were provided by the VW Cross Coupe concept revealed at last year’s Tokyo motor show, but these renderings from Carparazzi provide a closer approximation of how the production version will look.
Hackenberg also told Autocar the Polo-based SUV would be tailored to individual markets, with emerging countries receiving fairly basic versions, while European buyers will be offered more technically sophisticated variants with better trim levels and higher feature lists.
Such a model would be almost certainly sold in Australia, where it would be positioned in the booming entry-level SUV market below the Tiguan.
The vehicle will be offered in front-drive and all-paw formats, but it’s the former that’s tipped to make up the bulk of sales.
Also reportedly in VW’s product pipeline is an even smaller SUV that will be spawned off the pint-sized Up. This vehicle is tipped to make its debut at the Sao Paulo motor show later this month, but not much else is known at this stage.
Picture supplied by Carparazzi
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