Volkswagen is gearing up to reveal an SUV based on the new Polo which will go on sale in the international markets next year. The Polo based SUV is expected to be on the MQB AO platform and is confirmed to go on sale in the South American markets. The SUV is currently under development and is expected to be revealed by 2020 and it will be positioned under the Volkswagen T-Cross. According to reports, the new SUV is expected to be badged ‘T-Sport’, and Volkswagen has filed a patent for the name recently in Brazil.
As of now, Volkswagen has been tight-lipped and details on the mechanicals or hardware are not available, but it is speculated to get an engine from the outgoing Polo sold in the South American market which may be tuned differently to suit the car.
In India, the Volkswagen Polo is powered by two engine options and the technical specifications are as follows:-
- 999cc, MPI, 3-cylinder petrol engine that produces 76 PS of power @ 6200 RPM and 95 Nm of torque @ 3000-4300 RPM matched to a 5-speed manual gearbox
- 1498cc, TDI, 4-cylinder Diesel engine that produces 90 PS of power @ 4200 RPM and 230 Nm of torque @ 1500-2500 RPM mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox
Both the cars are similar in hardware as well as exterior dimensions and the VW Polo measures in at 3971mm in length, 1682mm in width, 1469mm in height with a wheelbase of 2469mm. The braking duties are performed by hydraulic disc brakes in the front and drum brakes on the rear. The car rides on McPherson strut with stabilizer bar on the front and semi-independent trailing arm suspension on the rear.
The Volkswagen Polo is sold in 4 different variants with petrol and diesel engines in India:-
- Trendline
- Comfortline
- Highline
- Highline+
In the near future, Volkswagen plans to bring the T-Cross SUV followed by the replacement for Vento in India. The sister brand Skoda also plans to bring the Skoda Kamiq in 2020. The T-Cross is expected to get the 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine without an option for a diesel powered engine in India.