The Volkswagen T-Cross is a
subcompact crossover SUV
Subcompact crossover SUV is an automobile segment used to describe the smallest segment of crossover SUV, a type of sport utility vehicle, below the compact crossover SUV. Subcompact crossover SUVs are usually based on a platform of a subcompact ...
(
B-segment
The B-segment is the second smallest of the European segments for passenger cars between the A-segment and C-segment, and commonly described as "small cars". The B-segment is the largest segment in Europe by volume, accounting for 20 percent of ...
) manufactured by the German automaker
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...
. It is based on the
MQB A0 platform shared with the
Polo Mk6, and was officially launched in April 2019. Positioned below the
T-Roc and alongside the
Taigo/Nivus, it is the smallest SUV model from Volkswagen. It is also the second Volkswagen SUV model to sit in the B-SUV segment, after the T-Roc.
Overview
The T-Cross started as a replacement for a cancelled project of a small SUV based on the
Volkswagen Taigun concept which was showcased in São Paulo in 2012. It is an SUV based on the
Volkswagen Up!
The Volkswagen Up (stylized as Volkswagen up!) is a city car, part of the Volkswagen Group New Small Family (NSF) series of models, unveiled at the 2011 International Motor Show Germany (IAA). Production of the Up started in December 2011 at th ...
with a length of under 3.9 m destined for Europe, Brazil and India, and was planned to be on sale in 2016 after the project was
green-lit
To green-light is to give permission to proceed with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead".
Film industry
In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to ...
in 2012. In 2016, Volkswagen cancelled the plan of producing the Taigun after an internal study concluded that its dimension was too small. Volkswagen shifted its focus onto developing a
Polo
Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...
-based small SUV instead, which eventually spawned the T-Cross. The Taigun nameplate is being reused as a rebadged long-wheelbase T-Cross for the Indian market.
![2016-03-01 Geneva Motor Show G050](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/2016-03-01_Geneva_Motor_Show_G050.JPG)
In 2016, the T-Cross was previewed as a
concept car
A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle, show vehicle or prototype) is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or ...
called the VW T-Cross Breeze at the
Geneva Motor Show
The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by th ...
. This vehicle was, in contrast to the production version, a four-seater
convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...
with a fabric top. The T-Cross Breeze was long, wide and high. The concept vehicle was powered by a 1.0-litre
TSI engine with and of torque.
The production version of the T-Cross was officially launched on 25 October 2018 simultaneously in three cities located in three continents –
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
,
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
and
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
– demonstrating T-Cross's nature as a global product.
The model is produced in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
with a modified length of 4.2 m and a longer wheelbase of 2.65 m shared with the
Škoda Kamiq
The Škoda Kamiq is a subcompact crossover SUV (B-segment), launched by the Czech car manufacturer Škoda Auto in the end of June 2019, nearly two years after the larger Škoda Karoq was launched in Europe in September 2017. It is smallest of the ...
and
Volkswagen Virtus
The Volkswagen Virtus is a subcompact sedan (B-segment) manufactured by the German automaker Volkswagen since 2018. It is based on the Polo Mk6 with an extended wheelbase and the same Volkswagen Group MQB A0 platform, which it also closely shar ...
, with the goal of improving interior space.
These models also have different front fascias and steering wheels from the variant sold in Europe.
Markets
Europe
Debuted in Amsterdam, the T-Cross is positioned below the
T-Roc in Volkswagen Europe SUV line-up and acts as an entry-level model. The vehicle is built together with the Volkswagen Polo at Volkswagen Navarra S.A''.'' in
Pamplona
Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region.
Lying at near above ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
.
Although the T-Cross is only slightly smaller than the
Golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
-based T-Roc, VW is marketing the T-Cross as the more practical and family-oriented car, as Volkswagen expects the T-Cross to appeal to young families and older demographics due to its tall roof and its high driving position.
Four engines have been announced for the launch model, and only one of them is a diesel, which is 1.6-litre TDI four-cylinder unit with . There are two versions of the 1.0-litre TSI turbo petrol three-cylinder, with either or , and a range-topping 1.5-litre TSI petrol with . It is available with a 5- or 6-speed manual, and a 7-speed DSG transmission. All T-Cross variants are front-wheel drive as its Polo-sourced underpinnings do not support an all-wheel drive configuration.
It was delivered to the customers in April 2019.
The T-Cross went on sale in Turkey in March 2022.
File:Volkswagen T-Cross IMG 3223.jpg, Rear view
File:2019 Volkswagen T-Cross SE 1.0.jpg, Volkswagen T-Cross SE
File:2019 Volkswagen T-Cross R-Line TSi 1.0 Front.jpg, Volkswagen T-Cross R-Line
File:2019 Volkswagen T-Cross R-Line 1.0 Interior.jpg, Interior
T-Cross First Edition
First-edition models are based on a T-Cross style 1.0-litre TSI with . It is available in 150 and 50 units in manual and dual-clutch gearboxes respectively, which were available as part of a lottery.
Powertrain
Safety
The
Euro NCAP
The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven (Belgium) formed in 1996, with the first results released in February ...
has awarded the T-Cross a five-star rating. It scored 97% for adult occupant safety, 86% for child safety, 81% in the pedestrians and other vulnerable road users category and 80% for on-board safety tech. The T-Cross features several passive and active safety systems, including pedestrian and cyclist protection, automatic emergency braking, front assist and a speed limiter. High-end trim levels add several advanced features including
adaptive cruise control
Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is an available cruise control Advanced driver-assistance systems, advanced driver-assistance system for road vehicles that automatically adjusts the vehicle speed to maintain a safe distance from vehicles ahead. As ...
, hill start assist and
blind-spot monitoring.
Latin America
Brazil
Unveiled on 25 October 2018 and sold from April 2019, the T-Cross built in
São José dos Pinhais
São José dos Pinhais () is a municipality in the state of Paraná in Brazil. It is a part of the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba.
Etymology
With geographical and religious origins the city's name is a homage to São José (Saint Joseph) and ...
plant in Brazil is a long-wheelbase version one, sharing the 2.65 m wheelbase with the Virtus which stretches its length to 4.19 m while keeping it on the MQB A0 platform.
The Latin American T-Cross is available with several engine options, including 1.0-litre TSI making used in the Brazil-made Polo and Virtus serving as an entry option, while the high-end trims is equipped with 1.4-litre TSI engine capable of produced in
São Carlos, São Paulo
SAO or Sao may refer to:
Places
* Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD
* Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso
* Saco Transportation Center (station code SAO), a train station in Saco, Maine, U.S. ...
. The São José dos Pinhais plant will also manufacture the T-Cross with 1.6-litre
MSI engine with of power output dedicated for exports to other Latin American countries and LHD African countries. It is available with a 6-speed manual transmission for the lowest trim, while the other trims solely available with a 6-speed
torque converter
A torque converter is a type of fluid coupling that transfers rotating power from a prime mover, like an internal combustion engine, to a rotating driven load. In a vehicle with an automatic transmission, the torque converter connects the power ...
automatic transmission. The Brazilian-made T-Cross used
torsion beam
The twist-beam rear suspension (also torsion-beam axle, deformable torsion beam or compound crank) is a type of automobile suspension based on a large H or C-shaped member. The front of the H attaches to the body via rubber bushings, and the r ...
for the rear suspension, sharing its suspension configuration with the Virtus with specific calibrations for an SUV model.
While the Brazilian-made T-Cross has a longer wheelbase compared to the European version, the engineering team focused on making a larger space and legroom for the second row passengers. As the result, the capacity of the boot was reduced. While the European T-Cross carries between 385 and 455 litres (rear seats unfolded, depends on the rear seat recline position), the Brazilian model is only capable of 373–420 litres. This is also the case for the Chinese T-Cross and Tacqua, being the long-wheelbase version of the T-Cross.
Mexico
The T-Cross was introduced in Mexico in September 2019 and was imported from Brazil. It uses a 1.6-litre engine coupled with the
Tiptronic
The modern usage of the automotive term manumatic denotes an automatic transmission that allows the driver to select a specific gear, typically using paddle-shifters, steering wheel-mounted push-buttons, or "+" and "-" controls on the gear select ...
six speed automatic transmission. It is the second car in Volkswagen's Mexican lineup to use the MQB A0 platform. It also comes with a 6.5" Composition Media and
Apple CarPlay
CarPlay is an Apple standard which enables a car radio or head unit to be a display and a controller for an iOS device. It is available on all iPhone models beginning with iPhone 5 running iOS 7.1 or later.
According to Apple's website, all ma ...
infotainment system, six
airbag
An airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system using a bag designed to inflate extremely quickly, then quickly deflate during a collision. It consists of the airbag cushion, a flexible fabric bag, an inflation module, and an impact sensor. Th ...
s,
ABS brakes
An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a safety anti-skid braking system used on aircraft and on land vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. ABS operates by preventing the wheels from locking up during braking, thereby mainta ...
and
electronic stability control
Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology that improves a vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of traction ( skiddi ...
, and automatic post collision braking is available in all versions. It obtained a five star rating by Latin NCAP. It arrived to the market in Mexico in 2019.
In 2022, the Brazilian-made T-Cross was replaced with the Indian-made T-Cross which is nearly identical to the Indian market Taigun.
Powertrain
File:Volkswagen T-Cross 1.6 MSi Comfortline 2019 (Chile).jpg, Volkswagen T-Cross (Chile)
File:Volkswagen T-Cross (front view, Colombia).png, Volkswagen T-Cross (Colombia)
File:Volkswagen T-Cross (rear view, Colombia).png, Volkswagen T-Cross (Colombia)
File:Volkswagen T-Cross (interior, Colombia).png, Interior (Colombia)
China
In China, the car is offered by two manufacturers (
SAIC-Volkswagen
SAIC Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd., formerly known as Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. is an automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Anting, Shanghai, China and a joint venture between Volkswagen Group and SAIC Motor. It was ...
and
FAW-Volkswagen
FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Co., Ltd. is a joint venture between FAW Group and Volkswagen Group which manufactures Audi and Volkswagen marque passenger cars for sale in China. It was founded on 6 February 1991.
FAW-VW is headquartered in the so ...
) with two different names, which are the T-Cross and Tacqua respectively.
T-Cross
The Chinese market T-Cross was unveiled on 25 October 2018. It is manufactured and marketed by SAIC-VW and adopted the long-wheelbase body like the Brazilian T-Cross. It features a different front and rear bumpers to adapt with the Chinese market taste and trends. It is available in two engine options, which include 1.4-litre TSI which makes and 1.5-litre
MPI with of power output. It went on sale in April 2019.
File:Volkswagen T-Cross CN Shishi 01 2022-03-13.jpg, Volkswagen T-Cross (China)
File:Volkswagen T-Cross CN Shishi 02 2022-03-13.jpg, Volkswagen T-Cross (China)
Tacqua
The twin model of the T-Cross for the Chinese market is named the Tacqua. Manufactured and marketed by FAW-VW, the Tacqua bears more resemblance with the Brazilian-made T-Cross in terms of exterior appearance, with the exception of the Tacqua R-Line model which is a new design. The Tacqua offers the same long-wheelbase body and engine options as the T-Cross built by SAIC-VW, which are 1.4-litre TSI and 1.5-litre MPI. It was unveiled in November 2019 and launched to the market in December 2019.
File:Volkswagen Tacqua 001.jpg, Volkswagen Tacqua (China)
File:Volkswagen Tacqua 002.jpg, Volkswagen Tacqua (China)
Powertrain
† Marketed and labeled as such in China
India (Taigun)
In February 2020, Volkswagen revealed the
Taigun for the Indian market which is based from the Chinese market T-Cross with several changes, such as the redesigned C-pillar. It is unrelated to the concept model from 2012 with the same name. Volkswagen stated the Taigun is built on a modified MQB A0 platform dedicated for Indian market called the MQB A0 IN. It went on sale in India in September 2021.
File:2021 Volkswagen Taigun 1.5 TSI GT (India) front view 01.png, 2021 Volkswagen Taigun GT (India)
File:2021 Volkswagen Taigun 1.5 TSI GT (India) rear view.png, 2021 Volkswagen Taigun GT (India)
Safety
Volkswagen Taigun rated Adult And Child safety 5 star in Global NCAP.
Indonesia
The T-Cross has been sold in Indonesia since 23 February 2022. Based on the Indian market Taigun, it is offered in a single variant with a 1.0-litre TSI engine.
Sales and production figures
References
External links
Official website(United Kingdom)
{{Volkswagen (China) timeline 1984 to date
T-Cross
Cars introduced in 2018
Crossover sport utility vehicles
Front-wheel-drive vehicles
2010s cars
2020s cars
Mini sport utility vehicles
Euro NCAP small MPVs
Latin NCAP small MPVs
Cars of Brazil