Volkswagen has finally unveiled its smallest crossover coupe ever in the form of the Nivus, which is powered by a 126 horsepower 1.0-litre TSI three-cylinder petrol/ethanol engine
Volkswagen, the German carmaker giant, has just unveiled the 2021 VW Nivus, a crossover coupe that has been developed in Brazil for South American and European markets. The new model, which is the smallest crossover coupe we’ve seen from the carmaker till date, will go on sale in Brazil in the coming weeks. Following its launch in Brazil, it will be made available in Argentina later this year and in other South American markets in 2021.
That’s not all as the VW Nivus will even make it to international markets, albeit, in a different format. The company has already confirmed a Euro-spec model for the second-half of 2021. Visually, the Nivus looks like a Polo on steroids and has a more rugged appearance and a higher ground clearance than the small car it shares some of the design cues with.
In the works of carmaker, the VW Nivus will offer segment-best interior space with “an ample vehicle interior” and luggage carrying capacity of 415 litres. The Nivus, at 4,266 mm, is slightly longer than the T-Cross. It has a wheelbase of 2,566 mm, while its width, at 1,757 mm, is similar.
The height is considerably lower at 1,493 mm. The visual highlights o the new model includes a dynamic roofline, coupe-like profile, SUV-inspired styling, sleek Led headlights, a large roof spoiler and 17-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, the VW Nivus has a Polo-inspired dashboard with almost the same layout. It carries a huge 10-inch touchscreen infotainment unit along with a 10.25-inch Active Info Display digital instrument panel. The touchscreen infotainment unit is powered by VW Play, an interface developed in Brazil. This system comes with a 10 GB internal memory.
The South America-spec VW Nivus is powered by a 1.0-liter TSI turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine that can output 116 PS of maximum power. Dubbed 200 TSI, this unit can also run on ethanol, on which it can output 128 PS and 200 Nm. The motor comes hooked to a six-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the front wheels. AWD isn’t on offer.
The safety pack for the VW Nivus includes Fatigue Detector, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), starting aid on ramps (HHC), KESSY, reverse camera with sensors, Adaptive Cruise Control and Autonomous Emergency Brake. The new model will be built at company’s facility in Anchieta, São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil.
