Volkswagen has already announced its India strategy will focus heavily on SUVs and will launch the T-Roc in India soon
Volkswagen India is not doing good in the Indian market and in the past year alone, they announced a rejig in the management, realigning business structure in sync with Skoda. Under the larger Volkswagen Group, one of the largest auto conglomerateS in the world, announced a massive investment plan and is said to focus on SUVs in the coming years.
To start their new innings, Volkswagen will launch the T-Roc SUV soon, that was first unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2017 and goes up against the likes of the Honda HR-V in Europe, which means it falls under the list of premium mid-SUV.
The hotly contested segment has seen a lot of launches recently and will serve as Volkswagen’s most affordable SUV in India and if reports are to be believed, Volkswagen is set to launch this SUV in the Indian market soon.
Here’s all you need to know about the upcoming Volkswagen T-Roc SUV:
1. Design
As per Volkswagen, the T-Roc is meant to be an SUV with the dynamics of a hatchback and as a result, the T-Roc’s proportions are quite small if compared to kind of competition that it is expected to go up against India, which includes the likes of the Tata Harrier, Jeep Compass and the Hyundai Creta. To give you a perspective, it is smaller than the Tata Harrier in every way and also has a shorter wheelbase.
However, as compared to the Hyundai Creta, it is longer and wider, and has a longer wheelbase too, but is shorter in height. The design is modern and takes cues from the bigger Volkswagen Tiguan premium SUV, which is the flagship product for the Volkswagen in India. The design is modern with squarish LED lights and fluidic design. The T-Roc is based on Volkswagen’s MQB platform
2. Cabin
Carrying forward the Tiguan’s design language inside the cabin, the Volkswagen Tiguan will instantly remind of the costlier SUV with the same cabin design, having an all-black cabin. In terms of features, it could come with a list of options including an 8.0-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system, a digital 10.3-inch TFT instrument cluster, cruise control, ambient lighting, lane assist and an electric tailgate.
More features can include a sunroof, drive modes and more. Safety-wise, the VW T-Roc will be loaded to the brim thanks to Volkswagen’s global safety norms. Features like 6-airbags, good build quality, ABS with EBD are expected leading up to a 5-Star Global/Euro NCAP ratings.
3. Engine
Coming to the mechanics, the Volkswagen T-Roc is offered in a total of six drivetrain options globally which include both the diesel (TDI) and the petrol engine options (TSI) which have outputs ranging from 85 PS to 190 PS. However, for India, Volkswagen could offer it with a choice of a 1.5-litre TSI EVO petrol engine and a 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine option.
These could be offered with a choice of a 6-speed manual gearbox and a 7-speed DSG transmission option. The higher-spec model may also get an AWD system, though it is highly unlikely.
4. Expected Launch and Price
The Volkswagen T-Roc will make its way to the Indian shores in the form of a Completely Built Unit (CBU) and will be imported under the government’s allowance for manufacturers to be able to sell 2,500 units in India without the need of homologation. Upon its launch, the Volkswagen T-Roc is expected to cost around Rs 17 lakh to Rs 20 lakh, ex-showroom.
5. Competition
Although the price of the Volkswagen T-Roc is on the higher side, it will actually compete in the premium mid-SUV segment that has products like Jeep Compass, MG Hector, upcoming Kia Seltos among others.