Several renderings of a mysterious Volkswagen-branded coupe/SUV cropped up online just a couple of days ago. Now, the company has officially confirmed its plans to release such a model.
The car has been designed in Brazil, but VW says it will be available in Europe, too. The provisional name is ‘New Urban Coupe’, but it will change towards the launch. Maybe it will get the ‘T-Sport’ name the company applied for a couple weeks ago.
The model is being primarily positioned as an affordable coupe/SUV for third world countries, and the decision to make it available in Europe was met later. Production for South America will take place in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, while Spain will assemble the series for Europe.
There are no technical specs available to date. We believe the newcomer will be based on the MQB A0 platform of the latest VW Polo, T-Cross and Virtus (a Brazilian sedan/saloon).
The engine range will also likely be the same as that of the hatchback. In Brazil, the Polo ships with 1.0-liter non-turbo engines rated at 75-84 hp (56-63 kW), larger 1.6-liter non-turbos with 110-117 hp (82-87 kW), and 1.0-liter turbo three-cylinders with 116-128 hp (87-95 kW). In all likelihood, the available transmissions will be limited to five-speed manual and six-speed automatic. AWD is unlikely.
When it comes out, Volkswagen’s New Urban Coupe will occupy a market niche below the T-Cross. Production in Brazil is scheduled for May 2020, with Europe ETAs still unannounced.