Sales volume incoming…
Volkswagen’s local office has for the last year-and-a-half or so been forced to sit a little uncomfortably and grin a little too widely every time they’re grilled by media folks about the T-Roc, and more recently, the smaller T-Cross. SUVs are a growing space everywhere, Australia included, and it’s damn-nearly inexcusable for them not to have a small & a smaller SUV for local consumption.
And make no mistake, they feel bad about it. The T-Roc was introduced in August 2017 and since then, VW Australia has faced an uphill battle with the powers that be in Wolfsburg due to unexpected demand for the stylish & practical compact SUV in Europe. It keeps getting pushed back further and further, but now after months of silence on the matter, VW Australia can finally confirm that the T-Roc, and it’s smaller T-Cross sibling, will be making a local landing in early 2020.
VW Australia’s product manager Todd Ford said of the two cars that they represent “significant volume opportunity” for the brand, which in English means that they expect to sell truckloads of them. The sub-$30k T-Cross will lead the charge, with 3-cylinder engines under the bonnet (with the 85TSI a surety). Power will go to the front donuts only, with a 7-speed DSG on the cards. A manual option is possible, but nothing on that so far.
The T-Cross will offer a better view than the Polo it’s based on thanks to the 10mm ride-height increase. There’ll also be colourful interior trim options to ensure that a T-Cross buyer is given every opportunity to express themselves. The digital Active Info Display is also a likely addition, but what’s certain is the cargo room (385L minimum, 1281L maximum), R-Line package, and alloys of up to 18-inches in diameter.
The T-Roc will join the lineup later, with prices expected to be sub-$40k. Based on the Golf, it’ll go the way of the T-Cross by offering a wide colour palatte and the option of a contrasting roof. The T-Roc will also be offered locally in Style, Sport, and R-Line trims, with unique cabin treatments for each and alloy wheels of up to 19-inches in size.
Because of the Golf-based architecture, all-wheel drive may be offered as an option, mated to a double-clutch automatic with power coming from a selection of 4-cylinder turbocharged engines. Practicality will also be a strong card here, with maximum cargo room rated at 1290L with the seats folded, and 445L with the seats up, shaming some SUVs from a segment larger.
For those of you waiting for the T-Roc R, don’t hold your breath. VW’s communications boss Paul Pottinger did say that the company is hoping to bring it to Australia, but resisted going any further than that. While the strength of the ‘R’ brand in our market is strong-enough reason to bring in the hot T-Roc, we can only hope that there’ll be enough volume to allocate a handful (or ten) for us here.
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