The refreshed Volkswagen T-Cross SUV will debut in South America in the coming weeks, and it shares its platform, body panels and multiple cosmetic bits with the Taigun sold in India.
- Refreshed T-Cross SUV gets front and rear styling updates
- Will get more equipment and features
- No powertrain changes expected
VW T-Cross facelift will bring new styling and more tech
The South American-spec T-Cross is built in Brazil, and hence will go on sale there first. Multiple test mules have confirmed various styling tweaks to the SUV like a new-look grille with multiple horizontal slats and the VW logo being positioned slightly higher. There will be minor tweaks to the headlamp design and we are told that it will come with Volkswagen’s latest IQ headlight technology; a system that controls lighting with a camera and sensor to detect oncoming traffic. It is quite similar to sister brand Audi’s Matrix headlamp tech, but for vehicles built at a lower price point.
The front bumper gets a reworked airdam, and the fog lamp inserts now resemble the more premium T-Roc SUV that was sold in India a few years ago. At the rear, the tail-lamps and bumper get mild updates in order to give the SUV a fresh look from all angles.
On the inside, expect tweaks to the dashboard and its body-coloured trims, upholstery and even the VW Play infotainment system that's seen on the Taigun and Virtus sold in India. We expect that these changes will eventually make their way to the Taigun too.
VW T-Cross facelift: expected feature, tech updates
As far as features and tech are concerned, expect VW to bring the T-Cross and Taigun in line with its rivals or offer more, especially with bits like the aforementioned IQ headlamps. We also expect the updated SUV to get ADAS and a 360-degree camera, which is now becoming a common feature at this price point, especially in India.
VW T-Cross facelift: powertrain and platform
While the South American T-Cross and the Taigun from India look almost identical, both SUVs have completely different powertrain options. The T-Cross SUV sold in Brazil comes with a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine and a 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine. In India, the Taigun gets a 1.0-litre and a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine options. Both SUVs share similar underpinnings, which are essentially emerging market versions of the modular Volkswagen Group MQB A0 platform that's been further revised to suit region specific conditions.
The same platform, with more tweaks will underpin the upcoming Skoda compact SUV in India. Read more on that here.
VW T-Cross facelift: global debut, India launch
Sources tell us that the refreshed T-Cross could see a global debut in the coming months. The India launch of the refreshed Taigun could still be some time away as the SUV was launched as the T-Cross in Brazil almost a year before it went on sale in India.
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