Volkswagen planning to take on Hyundai Creta in India with T-Cross SUV

Volkswagen India has recently launched the Tiguan SUV in India while the German carmaker's presence in the burgeoning compact SUV space in the country is limited. The scene is set to change as Volkswagen is mulling to bring an SUV as a rival to the Hyundai Creta and the Renault Duster.

The model in question is expected to be the T-Cross which Volkswagen will unveil next year.

"In the Creta range, as we announced in Frankfurt, we have a car called the T-Cross. So that's one solution we're looking for India," Cardekho quoted Steffen Knapp, the newly appointed director of Volkswagen India as saying.

Volkswagen had unveiled T-Cross Breeze convertible concept at the 86th Geneva Motor Show in March 2016. It will be the base model to the actual compact SUV. The T-Cross will be positioned below the T-Roc and it will be based on the new Polo's MQB A0 platform. The new compact SUV and Polo hatchback are also expected to share powertrains and drivelines.

The production version is expected to heavily draw design inspiration from the T-Roc, including a full-width grille with integrated headlamps and beefier wheel arches to project a more distinctive, rugged image.

The entry-level T-Cross is expected to draw power from a turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with 112hp and 175Nm of torque. A powerful diesel mill is also expected when the vehicle comes to India. The SUV will be offered primarily in front-wheel drive, while all-wheel-drive versions will almost certainly be offered as well.

The report also says that Volkswagen is eyeing to source more components from Indian vendors to keep costs in check. Hence the company may make some changes to the T-Cross to suit Indian tastes. This could mean that the India-spec version of the compact SUV having slightly different design and features compared to the global-spec models.