Photo: motor.es
With the advent of the Dieselgate emissions scandal, the Volkswagen Group is pushing for electrification like there’s no tomorrow. However, the automotive group controlled by Porsche SE is willing to try other things for a change. One of those is a subcompact sport utility vehicle based on the next-generation Polo.
Recently caught by the spy photographers clad in camouflage, the Polo-based crossover SUV will duke it out against subcompact-sized models such as the Mazda CX-3, Renault Captur, and the Nissan Juke. Beyond the fixed-head model, VW is rumored to work on a convertible crossover. First reported by Motor.es, the adjacent drawings were filed with the European Patent Office. The thing is, a quick search on the DPMA and the European Union Intellectual Property Office websites didn't return any result, which is why the origin of these drawings can't be verified.
Unsurprisingly, the alleged patent drawings resemble the Volkswagen T-Cross Breeze Concept presented at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. Back then, the chairman of the board of management at VW let it slip that the automaker “can well imagine putting such a convertible on the market as a production model.”
Although VW has yet to say if that’s going to happen for sure, one can only dream. I’m not fond of convertible SUVs, but I must admit that the Range Rover Evoque Convertible got the ball rolling. The Nissan Murano cabrio doesn’t count, sorry. Besides the cheeky visual cues and canvas roof, the dashboard of the yet-unnamed model offers a glimpse into the future.
As you can see in the alleged patent drawings, the instrument cluster is fully digital, just like in the Passat B9. Then there’s the buttonless dashboard, which is perfectly complemented by the minimal center stack. What’s most surprising, however, is the steering wheel. Those of you who know your Volkswagens well might have identified it by now. Borrowed from the Golf R Touch Concept, the steering wheel features haptic feedback controls.
If Volkswagen turns the T-Cross Breeze Concept into production reality, then it is safe to assume that the engine range will feature the same units the next-gen Polo will get, including the 1.0 TSI turbocharged three-cylinder unit. Last, but certainly not least, I’ll end this story with a quote from Klaus Bischoff, the head of design at the Volkswagen brand: "The T-Cross Breeze is a teaser for the most compact sport utility vehicle that Volkswagen plans to make."
Unsurprisingly, the alleged patent drawings resemble the Volkswagen T-Cross Breeze Concept presented at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. Back then, the chairman of the board of management at VW let it slip that the automaker “can well imagine putting such a convertible on the market as a production model.”
Although VW has yet to say if that’s going to happen for sure, one can only dream. I’m not fond of convertible SUVs, but I must admit that the Range Rover Evoque Convertible got the ball rolling. The Nissan Murano cabrio doesn’t count, sorry. Besides the cheeky visual cues and canvas roof, the dashboard of the yet-unnamed model offers a glimpse into the future.
As you can see in the alleged patent drawings, the instrument cluster is fully digital, just like in the Passat B9. Then there’s the buttonless dashboard, which is perfectly complemented by the minimal center stack. What’s most surprising, however, is the steering wheel. Those of you who know your Volkswagens well might have identified it by now. Borrowed from the Golf R Touch Concept, the steering wheel features haptic feedback controls.
If Volkswagen turns the T-Cross Breeze Concept into production reality, then it is safe to assume that the engine range will feature the same units the next-gen Polo will get, including the 1.0 TSI turbocharged three-cylinder unit. Last, but certainly not least, I’ll end this story with a quote from Klaus Bischoff, the head of design at the Volkswagen brand: "The T-Cross Breeze is a teaser for the most compact sport utility vehicle that Volkswagen plans to make."
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