2019 Volkswagen T-Cross: new teaser video hints at crossover's design

The firm's smallest SUV will be revealed in full later this week
Tom Morgan, deputy digital editor
22 October 2018

Volkswagen has given its clearest look yet at the upcoming T-Cross compact SUV, with a new video featuring close-up shots of the finished car's styling.

Jürgen Stackmann, the firm's marketing chief, posted a short video on his official Twitter account that showed elements of the crossover's exterior and interior styling. The T-Cross will be revealed in full on Thursday (25 October).

The video contains a shot showing a close-up of the front grille of a T-Cross, with the rear of another example in the background. It showcases that the car, similar in size to the Polo supermini, will feature the traditional rugged SUV styling. Another shot shows the T-Cross name spelt out on the rear boot, and features a close-up of an orange-coloured wheel rim, likely to be an option for buyers.

There are also views of the interior of the new car, showing VW's well-regarged digital instrument and infotainment display.

VW has previously shown off a close-up of the supermini-SUV's headlights and daytime running lights on Twitter, while also hinting at what paint options to expect when it goes on sale early next year. 

The T-Cross, which Autocar has already driven in prototype form, will become the fourth SUV in VW's European line-up, beneath the T-Roc, Tiguan and Touareg.

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— Volkswagen UK (@UKVolkswagen) 19 October 2018

Previous design sketches have hinted at a design that draws heavily from the larger T-Roc but with a distinctive rear end and on-trend light bar tail-lights. A recent preview showed designers working on the car, with brightly coloured trim being selected for the interior. Twelve interior colours will be available at launch, while a two-tone paint job will be available for the exterior.

The T-Cross focuses on practicality, according to another preview revealed by VW, with 385-455 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place, depending on their position, rising to 1281 litres with the rear seats folded. With the seats in place, this space is 33-103 litres larger than the Kia Stonic, and up to 55 litres larger than the Seat Arona, although with the T-Cross's seats positioned for maximum leg room, 15 litres down on its Seat cousin. 

The T-Cross is expected to cost around £17,000 when it goes on sale, rivalling the Seat Arona, Renault Captur and second-generation Nissan Juke. Latest spy shots show the car in its most undisguised form yet, although some cladding on the front and rear disguises the car as a T-Roc, covering its actual features.

Volkswagen T-Cross prototype 2018: first drive of crossover supermini

The T-Cross is the latest in a 19-strong line-up of SUVs that VW plans to have in place within the next two years. VW’s aim is to boost sales of high-riding models to 40% of its overall global total by the end of the decade.

It uses VW’s MQB A0 platform, shared with the VW Polo, Arona and Audi A1, among others.

Engines will also be shared with the T-Cross’s Polo sibling, meaning that 1.0 TSI petrol and 1.6 TDI diesel units will make up the vast majority of the range (the cars we drove used these two engines).

While the platform has been engineered to accommodate a plug-in hybrid variant, the first-generation T-Cross is unlikely to be electrified. It is too small to yet be considered for what still remains relatively expensive hybrid tech; a 48V mild hybrid will only appear on the Mk8 Golf next year.

Volkswagen Up GTI demand has exceeded expectations

The T-Cross will not get a GTI variant, with VW having previously said the badge will only be used on its Up, Polo and Golf hatchbacks.

A harder R version is more likely, but a decision will be based on the success of the larger T-Roc R arriving next year.

VW design chief Klaus Bischoff told Autocar recently that the T-Cross’s design had already been signed off and was “not so far from the [T-Cross Breeze] concept”, albeit without its drop-top.

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Comments
39

xxxx

16 August 2016
= big sales. Just look at the slightly bigger Suzuki Vitara which is getting big sales across Europe, for a small company it's a big seller

typos1 - Just can’t respect opinion

jason_recliner

4 July 2018
Then you swipe left and realise it's a VW Ecosport.

*facepalm*

FMS

1 August 2018
xxxx wrote:

= big sales. Just look at the slightly bigger Suzuki Vitara which is getting big sales across Europe, for a small company it's a big seller

 

This comment made just short of two years ago...on what then pricing rumours of this now new VW, did you base your comment...?. You of course, with your encyclopaedic knowledge of all things automotive, will have foreseen that and the market place, 23 months on, puting to shame all the life long integrally positioned automotive moguls, who have the real decisions to make, leaving the error filled nonsensical comments to your less than sharply honed instincts. Way to go and to amuse the rest of us, who prefer to keep silent until we are sure of our business. TWIT

 

 

rbazaes

16 August 2016
I thought the current Polo was not MQB based... or is it?

beechie

18 July 2018
rbazaes wrote:

I thought the current Polo was not MQB based... or is it?

MQB isn't actually a 'platform', it's a more way of introducing comonality across ten VW transverse-engined vehicles and assosiated stuff from SEAT, Skoda, et al. It encompasses tooling and plant across all VW group facilities - that's why the whole system cost $60bn. No single platform could fit cars ranging from Polo to Toaureg but MQB means that certain areas of design, such as axles, engine mounts and pedal boxes need not be labouriously redesigned for each individual application.

scrap

19 July 2018

Touareg is not MQB. It is a transverse front engine platform only. The heartland model is the Golf, as I understand it Polo et al use a simplified version of it.

sabre

16 August 2016
I still don't trust them

Beastie_Boy

16 August 2016
sabre wrote:

I still don't trust them

(Apple, Sky, McDonalds, BBC, Amazon, Sports Direct, Banks... Etc) and I suspect you'll find something deplorable about the lot of them... Can't help but wanting or using their products and services though...

Marc

16 August 2016
sabre wrote:

I still don't trust them

Damn those cheating Germans. Couldn't possibly be anyone else doing it. (as shredders in offices all over the world go into overdrive)

Jeremy

19 December 2017

Nor do I. But then I am one of the many Transporter owners who has suffered from engine failure (at 60,000 miles) due their 'excellent' German engineering!

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