Volkswagen's latest teaser for the upcoming T-Cross sub-compact crossover shows that while this SUV has a tiny footprint, it can still carry lots of stuff. In a new video, VW enlists a pair of hockey players with Grizzlys Wolfsburg team to prove that the model can swallow all of their gear.
Get The Scoop On The VW T-Cross:
The T-Cross features an adjustable bench seat in the rear. When all the way back to maximise legroom, there are 385 litres of cargo space in the back. Sliding it forward increases the area in the back to as much as 455 litres. The 60:40 split seatbacks also fold flat to boost the room in the back to 1,281 litres). For even more room, the front passenger seat backrest can also tip backward.
The T-Cross rides on the MQB A0 platform from the Polo. However, it features a higher ride height, and raised seats offer a 597-mm sitting position height in front and 652 mm in the back for a more elevated view of the road.
The powertrain range will also likely come from the Polo. Buyers will probably be able to pick from a petrol 1.0-litre three-cylinder and 1.5-litre four-cylinder or a 1.6-litre turbodiesel. It's not yet clear whether all-wheel drive might be available or if the T-Cross would be a purely front-drive machine.
VW will unveil the T-Cross in full this fall, and the little SUV will go on sale in spring 2019. The automaker's execs believe the model is too small to appeal tobuyers in the United States and Canada, but buyers in Europe, China, South America, and India can look forward to driving one.
The new T-Cross – “I am practical”: Small SUV stands out with high level of variability
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Compact Volkswagen SUV will be launched in spring 2019
Ice hockey professionals test the cargo volume of the new T-Cross
It is Volkswagen’s smallest SUV and yet it has what it takes to become a great one: the new T-Cross1. It is still under wraps, but the development to series production is running at full speed. The world première will take place this autumn and the launch will follow in spring 2019. Until then, Volkswagen will give more and more details about the new small but great SUV. Just like now with the clip in which professional players from the “Grizzlys Wolfsburg” ice hockey team throw all their equipment into the T-Cross which easily fits the equipment plus players.
“I am more” – this is the slogan for the introduction of the T-Cross. This slogan reflects the philosophy behind the SUV: to offer more than others. But without costing more. The slogan is clustered in four characteristic areas of the T-Cross: “I am practical” – more space and variability; “I am cool” – masculine design and maximum individuality; “I am intuitive“ – digital and connected; “I am safe” – one of the safest cars in its class. Naturally the professionals of “Grizzlys Wolfsburg” address the topic "I am practical". Because they need space. A lot of space. And the new T-Cross provides this.
The modular transverse matrix, or MQB for short, is one of the reasons for this. This is the technical basis of the T-Cross. The front axle moves far to the front, thereby lengthening the wheelbase, creating more space in the interior and increasing the available stowage space. The latter is also variable: Depending on the situation, the rear seat bench can be adjusted lengthwise as standard. For more legroom or - as in the case of “Grizzlys Wolfsburg” - for more space in the luggage compartment (385 to 455 litres). The maximum cargo volume represents the leading value in the segment. The back of the rear seat can also be divided (60:40) or completely folded down. This creates a flat loading area and thus even more space (1,281 litres) for the ice hockey equipment or bikes and boards. The fold-down front passenger seat backrest offers additional flexibility.
The high seating position in the T-Cross is typical for an SUV: 597 mm at the front and 652 mm at the three seats at the rear; the elevated view from the T-Cross is realised via higher ground clearance and the seat system. Big guys like the two professionals from “Grizzly Wolfsburg” in the clip for the T-Cross also appreciate the sitting position: the American Jeff Likens (32) and the German Armin Wurm (29). Jeff was already world champion with the U20 team of the USA; since 2015 he is the deputy captain of the Wolfsburg team. Armin is one of the best defensive specialists in the country; he defends the “Grizzlys Wolfsburg” goal. The professional from Lower Saxony not only plays for the first division team from the German motor city, but also for the German national ice hockey team. One thing is certain: Jeff and Armin are very impressed with the versatility of the cargo hold concept in the T-Cross. It is not unlikely that the new Volkswagen will increasingly appear in front of the “Wolfsburg Ice Arena” from next spring - no longer under wraps, of course.