Volkswagen will add two new crossovers, including a subcompact and stylish cross coupe

By Miles Branman July 9, 2015

Volkswagen-Taigun_Concept_ — Image used with permission by copyright holder

While crossovers and SUVs are flying out of dealerships these days, Volkswagen has been mostly a bystander, watching the success of its competitors while its Tiguan and Toureg sell in modest numbers. The German automaker will overhaul its smaller crossover, the Tiguan, later this year and will add a seven-seat long wheelbase version, but consumers want even more variants these days.

To meet the demand, Volkswagen has announced plans to add two new crossovers to its lineup in the near future. Volkswagen Group Australia managing director John White said VW will expand its crossover family by adding two new members, one positioned below the Tiguan and another positioned, at least in price, above it.

“Under [Tiguan] we’re looking at something,” White said, going as far as to suggest that a major manufacturer cannot avoid having an offering in that segment. “[The new small SUV] hasn’t been announced yet, but obviously we need to come down to a smaller size, different segment.”

We can expect the lower end crossover to be based on the Taigun concept, and that it will find a spot in the subcompact crossover segment as a rival to the Jeep Renegade, Fiat 500X, Nissan Juke, and upcoming Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V.

The other crossover addition will take the lead of models like the BMW X6 and Mercedes GLE, which focus more on style and luxury and traditional characteristics of SUVs and crossovers such as utility and durability. The CrossBlue Coupe and Cross Coupe GTE concepts will serve as the design foundation for the new model.

White added that the automaker plans to add car-based utility models as well, “On the car-side we’ve got the Golf Alltrack and the next-generation Passat Alltrack. We’re also attacking that segment with the Alltrack-style vehicles,” he said.

For Volkswagen to reach its lofty sales goals by 2020, it appears to be going the BMW route of cramming new models into its lineup. Perhaps at a lower price point, buyers will be attracted to new bodystyles that luxury automakers have been selling at too high a premium.

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