VW to Launch Sub-Tiguan Crossover in 2017

In a continuing bid to gain market share in the U.S., Volkswagen executives are working to launch a new small crossover with a footprint roughly the same size as the Golf.

Volkswagen hasn’t said much about the new vehicle, but Automotive News reports that company executives expect it to be ready for sale here by late 2017. Last year during the Geneva Motor Show, the company spoke of plans to expand its crossover family beyond the current two-nameplate lineup with “new models in a variety of classes” while showcasing the T-ROC concept, an MQB-based crossover.

In concept form, the T-ROC used a turbo diesel engine that sends 184 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque from 1,750 rpm through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and a permanent all-wheel drive system.

The new small crossover, along with the yet-unnamed production version of the seven-seat Crossblue concept slated for production in Chattanooga, Tenn., will also usher in a more aggressive styling language for the brand that is meant to appeal more directly to North American drivers.

Along with the new sub-Tiguan crossover, Volkswagen is also planning a long-wheelbase version of the Tiguan that will also arrive in U.S. showrooms in 2017.

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[Source: Automotive News]