Volkswagen Bringing Aggressive Crossover Styling To USDM Market
Feeling its style isn’t metal as it could be, Volkswagen is unleashing a more aggressive language for its upcoming compact and midsize crossovers.
Automotive News reports the crossovers’ styling will take cues from the T-Roc and Cross Coupe GTE concepts, including sharp-angled character lines, notch-tooth grills, and imposing faces. Design boss Klaus Bischoff says the new language is needed to help make a stronger impact in the United States market, considering that the automaker’s 2 percent market share pales in comparison to the double-digits it enjoys in Europe, China and other global markets.
Bischoff admits that the more conservative Euro-centric approach to design had been the company’s philosophy “for a long time,” adding that while it did work in Europe, it didn’t seem to be “the remedy for the rest of the world.”
The first model to wear the new design language will be the seven-passenger midsize crossover — pulling cues from the Cross Coupe GTE — set to leave Chattanooga in 2016. This will be followed by a redesigned Tiguan and a Golf-based crossover — the latter taking its style from the T-Roc — both due in 2017.
Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.
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VW is on my you-know-what list as far as crossovers go right now. The Jetta SportWagen's sunroof has malfunctioned again, so now I have a base-model Tiguan loaner. Talk about poverty spec. The base, non touchscreen "RCD-310" stereo, which should not be sold in a crossover at that price point, lacks any sort of input whatsoever other than an AUX jack. It also just plain looks disproportionate and goofy and has no more space than a Golf. And since it's got cloth upholstery, there are no seat heaters, and the manual seat adjustments suck. I seriously don't know who'd buy this car (especially for its $28K sticker price) which is probably why they allocated it for loaner duty. The good news is that I should have the JSW back today.
Dear VW: Stop showing concepts and start actually offering new CUVs in the US. At this rate the Acura NSX will be on sale before any new VW crossover.
Isn't "USDM market" like saying "ATM machine"?
Talk about not being able to hit water if they fell out of the boat; VW's going to let their entry in the hot CUV market languish for another year while they focus on the shrinking 3-row SUV market? Ugh.