Volkswagen’s offensive in the SUV segment was expanded in 2018 with the launch of the T-Roc . This compact SUV landed in our cities with the right doses of sporty aesthetics, comfort and versatility . The fashion for urban crossovers was more than established but the firm had to capture the public’s attention, be noticed. He achieved it with his casual design and a matching advertising spot, starring a ram with black fur and a lot of character: this animal is different from the rest, no one can beat him, until the Volkswagen T-Roc , his soul mate, arrives. Following the success of this announcement, the brand has not missed the opportunity to give something to talk about with the new Volkswagen T-Cross , a smaller model that manages to pass itself off as its older brother at first glance.
SUV fashion appeared more than a decade ago and hit so hard that brands have not been able to do more than obey its designs. All manufacturers were introducing their first SUVs, vehicles capable of offering a good response on unpaved tracks and without sacrificing comfort on asphalt. Soon, that trend was transferred to compact cars and urbanites, at which point their off-road capabilities became the least of it. At that point, the first doubts appeared about the sales cannibalization between models of the brand itself. The suspicion is already a reality in some cases such as the Seat Ibiza or Volkswagen Polo, surpassed in registrations (Spain) by the Seat Arona or Volkswagen T-Cross. Firms do not see it as something dangerous, since the important thing is to sell: the more variety, the more opportunities to be chosen .
Both the Volkswagen T-Roc and the T-Cross are the perfect example of this strategy. Both models start from a platform initially used for a compact model: the Golf and the Polo , respectively. Its adaptation to the market has consisted in the elevation of its driving position, aesthetic touches that give it an SUV image and slight changes in its chassis so that dynamism is not compromised. These two B-SUVs have followed such a similar path that they bear many similarities, hence the brand’s announcement. In the commercial , Volkswagen jokes about this lack of originality playing the veoveo with both models. It is true that they are almost identical, but they also have many differences.
