Car and Driver: Volkswagen Said to Be Prepping Two New Baby SUVs

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With the crossover becoming increasingly popular in smaller sizes, Volkswagen is rumored to be readying more than one entry sized below the current Tiguan. The company has already shown the T-ROC concept (above), which is based on its MQB architecture and is said to be headed for production. Now, a report in Autocar says we’ll soon see a second, smaller concept, the T-Cross, which will make its debut at the Geneva auto show in March.

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Both the T-ROC and the T-Cross are built on VW’s MQB architecture, but the latter is VW Polo-sized, whereas the T-ROC is a closer kin to the Golf. Autocar quotes an unnamed VW executive as saying a production version of the T-Cross would come in around 4000 mm (157.5 inches) long, which would make it smaller than either a Nissan Juke (162.2 inches long) or a Mini Countryman (161.7). The source says the larger T-ROC, by contrast, would be 4200 mm (165.4 inches) long, or just shy of a Jeep Renegade.

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The T-Cross is expected to hew closely to the design of the T-ROC, with the goal being to establish a familial resemblance between the siblings. We also assume that both will be offered with four doors. The transverse-engine, front-drive MQB architecture would allow for the availability of all-wheel drive, a choice of gasoline or diesel engines, and possibly a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

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• Volkswagen’s T-ROC Concept: Ready T’ Rock Off-Road-
• Getting’ Twiggy With Electricity: VW’s Tiguan GTE Active Concept-
• Volkswagen Tiguan Research: Full Pricing, Specs, Reviews, and More-

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If the report is correct, we’ll see more of the T-Cross in March. Whether we’ll ever see a production version on our shores is a different question, however. Volkswagen’s U.S. dealers are largely sitting out the boom in crossover sales, with just two aging models, the Tiguan and the Touareg. Certainly, VW wants to get more CUVs into its U.S. stores. A new Tiguan and a large, three-row crossover are coming next year, but there’s plenty of room below them for at least one model—and maybe even a second.

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