Volkswagen India to showcase a range of new SUVs at Auto Expo 2020, including Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos rivalling A0 SUV, T-ROC, Tiguan AllSpace and ID Crozz electric SUV
Volkswagen India, the local subsidiary of the German car giant, has today revealed the details of its lineup from the Auto Expo 2020. Highlights of the VW stall at the Expo will be four all-new SUVs, among which the A0-based Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos rival is of the biggest interest.
Other SUVs that will be making their local debut at the Auto Expo 2020 next month include the Volkswagen Tiguan All Space, Volkswagen T-ROC and ID Crozz electric SUV. All of these models are schemed to launch in our market with two years from now. The company has clarified that it has shifted its focus on bringing some of its world-class nameplates to the Indian market in order to satisfy the high demand for SUVs among the local buyers.
Speaking on the announcement, Mr. Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, said, “We understand the rapidly changing preferences of our Indian consumers and in-line to the same, we will introduce one of our biggest SUV offensive portfolio for the Indian shores.
Always keeping safety at the forefront, the upcoming carlines will re-define their respective segments, addressing the needs of our discerning Indian consumers. In India, we received tremendous response for our current SUV Volkswagen Tiguan and with our planned portfolio we expect to define it further.”
The India-bound Volkswagen A0 SUV that will debut at the Auto Expo 2020 is a near-production model that will launch in the local market in a few months from now. The upcoming Hyundai Creta rival will be based on a repurposed MQB A0 platform that is used in use in South America and China. The production version will be based on the T-Cross SUV sold abroad and will be underpinned by an India-specific architecture called MQB-A0-IN.
The production Volkswagen A0 SUV will have a 2,651 mm long wheelbase, which will be roughly 100 mm longer than what the Euro-spec T-Cross offers. In line with this, the new model will have different body panels and a more spacious interior. The SUV will also offer a higher ground clearance.
Powering the Volkswagen A0 SUV will be a 1.5-litre EVO TSI petrol engine that produces a maximum power of 130 hp. A CNG variant could also go on sale but the company will not offer a diesel engine option. The upcoming SUV will be a close relative to the upcoming India-spec Skoda Kamiq, which will also mark its local debut at the Auto Expo 2020 early next month.