Volkswagen rules out a T-Cross plug-in hybrid - Report

Volkswagen has no plans to offer a plug-in hybrid variant of the T-Cross, reports Autocar. The company had unveiled the new entry-level SUV in October for China, Latin America and Europe.

Citing Andreas Kruger, Head of Product Line Small, Volkswagen brand, the British publication says that a VW T-Cross with a hybrid powertrain doesn’t make financial sense. Kruger has said that packaging a plug-in hybrid powertrain into the T-Cross would cost so high that the price would touch the same level as of one of the company’s planned MEB platform-based pure electric cars.

In Europe, Volkswagen will sell the T-Cross exclusively with turbocharged engines. The line-up will encompass the company’s ubiquitous 1.0-litre TSI three-cylinder petrol, 1.5-litre TSI four-cylinder petrol and 1.6-litre TDI four-cylinder diesel engines in the following configurations:

• 1.0L TSI petrol (95 PS/175 Nm)
• 1.0L TSI petrol (115 PS/200 Nm)
• 1.5L TSI petrol (150 PS/250 Nm)
• 1.6L TDI (95 PS/250 Nm)

In Latin America, where the VW T-Cross will come in a long-wheelbase version, the engine options will include 1.0-litre TSI petrol-ethanol (petrol: 116 PS/200 Nm, ethanol: 128. PS/200 Nm), 1.4-litre TSI petrol-ethanol (petrol: 150 PS/250 Nm, ethanol: 150 PS/250 Nm) and 1.6-litre MSI petrol (110 PS/155 Nm). Specifications for China aren’t out yet.

The VW T-Cross is a soft-looking model for India. So, Volkswagen is planning a more rugged version with a tougher design, more cabin space and a higher ground clearance for our market. The Indian version will ride on the low-cost MQB A0 IN platform, not the original MQB A0 platform that underpins the EU-spec, LATAM-spec and CN-spec versions. Indian customers prefer "real SUV style with ruggedness, more ground clearance and high seating position," Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, told IAB earlier this year.

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The MQB A0 IN VW premium SUV will employ a locally manufactured 1.0-litre TSI turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine with AMT a strong possibility. A diesel engine option is not planned. The launch is announced for 2021.

[Source: autocar.co.uk]