2021 Volkswagen T-Cross could be launched in Indonesia, what about Malaysia?
CY Foong · Feb 17, 2021 10:43 AM
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The latest Motor Vehicle Sales Value (NJKB, Nilai Jual Kenderaan Bermotor) from Indonesia’s tax office has revealed numerous vehicles that are to be launched in the archipelago. Besides the specs of the Daihatsu Rocky and Toyota Raize, donor cars to the Perodua D55L compact SUV, another car listed is the 2021 Volkswagen T-Cross.
NJKB is a car’s gazetted before tax value that is used by the Indonesian Customs. It is not the car’s selling price. The latest NJKB only shows one variant of the T-Cross which is a 1.0 TSI AT with a price of IDR 317 million.
The Volkswagen T-Cross is built on the MQB A0 platform which is also shared with the Volkswagen Polo Mk6 and the Volkswagen Virtus. If it makes it to Malaysia, it will be an interesting competitor to the Proton X50 and Honda HR-V.
The 1.0L TSI powerplant
While the T-Cross is available in various markets overseas including Europe, Latin America, and China, it is interesting to note that only one engine is listed in NJKB. Besides the 3-cylinder 1.0-litre TSI engine, the T-Cross is also available with a 1.4-litre TSI engine, and a 1.5-litre MPI engine in some markets.
It's worth mentioning that the T-Cross is also currently available in Singapore with a single variant, the 1.0 TSI R-Line.
The 3-pot engine produces 115 PS and 200 Nm and it is mated to a 7-speed DSG automatic transmission.
Volkswagen Taigun concept shown at the 2020 Auto Expo
VW builds the T-Cross in several countries, including in India and Spain, though it remains to be seen where the Indonesia-spec cars will be sourced from.
For reference, the Singapore-spec VW T-Cross is imported from Spain. Meanwhile, the Indian-market T-Cross will receive a different name, Taigun, and will be launched in India later in 2021 alongside its Skoda twin, the Kushaq.
So, about Malaysia…
There have been no official announcements by Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) on the arrival of the T-Cross here. Just like the Virtus, if it were to arrive in Malaysia, early batches of the T-Cross could be assembled overseas (CBU) before moving to local production (CKD).
Would you look forward to Volkswagen’s own B-segment SUV rival to the X50 and HR-V if it were coming to Malaysia?
Traded advertising for a career that fits his passion for cars. Enjoys spotting cars during his free time and has a soft spot for Japanese Kei cars but drives a thirsty manual sedan.
