Volkswagen’s Concept for the Geneva Motor Show 2016 is the Volkswagen T-Cross Breeze. It previews a new smaller SUV in the Polo class, albeit a Convertible SUV. With it, Volkswagen have announced that three more SUV models will join the Tiguan and Touareg in the near future.
Volkswagen’s SUV expansion will see it offer an SUV in every relevant segment. The new Tiguan is the starting point for the plan. The Tiguan will be followed by a new mid-size SUV (for the USA and China) which will join the premium segment Touareg. A new Golf class SUV will follow, similar in style to the T-Roc Concept car. The T-Cross Breeze will demonstrate a potential Polo-based SUV to slot into the range at the entry level.
Volkswagen point out that the Volkswagen T-Cross Breeze is the first open-top SUV in its class. It gets a raised seating position, a projected low price and fills an interesting niche. The concept car comes equipped with a turbocharged 1.0 litre TSI with 110 hp and 175 Nm of torque.
The platform is front-driven with a stop-start system and recuperation mode. A 7-speed DSG dual clutch gearbox is used, while weight is just 1,250 kg. A 100 km/h sprint time of 10.3 seconds is possible with a top speed of 188 km/h. Fuel consumption and CO2 values are 5.0 l/100 km and 115 g/km respectively. A 40 litre fuel tank allows a theoretical range of 800 km.
The Volkswagen T-Cross Breeze gets a wide radiator grille and narrow headlights. Distinctive 19-inch aluminium wheels feature a spiral design while the rear gets integrated LED rear lights. The boot gets a volume of nearly 300 litres. The exterior paintwork is a warm shade of green called “Summer Green Metallic”. The car also features wheel arch extensions, the soft top comes in black.
Inside, Volkswagen are keen to showcase technology. The interior design offers an early glimpse at where production models are heading in the medium-term. The T-Cross Breeze features a buttonless operating concept. Volkswagen’s BUDD-e concept which uses touch sensitive controls. The contrasting inserts are finished in “Summer Green Soft” special-effect paint. The dark surfaces get contrasting “Deep Teal” colours. The centre console is free-floating.
The interior also gets a BeatsAudio system, a 300 watt 8 channel system delivers excellent sound and is compatible with CarPlay (Apple), Android Auto (Google) or MirrorLink.
