New entry-level crossover SUV to grace South Africa

The Trendline is a new entry-level version of the Volkswagen T-Cross compact SUV that will be available in South Africa.

The Volkswagen car brand, developed in Germany, is quite popular among South African motorists, with the VW Polo being the most well-known model.

The T-cross is the Polo’s bigger sibling, fulfilling demand for larger SUV/crossover body styles.

VW South Africa has announced that the Trendline will join the Comfortline, Highline, and R-Line models in the second quarter of 2023.

The Trendline trim has typically been Volkswagen’s most entry-level model.

The Trendline model is projected to be priced cheaper than the current starting price of roughly R400,000, making it more accessible to consumers, according to TopAuto.

Although the 2023 Trendline model is unlikely to be as cheap as the 2020 model, it is projected to be more competitively priced.

According to TopAuto, Volkswagen will likely price the Trendline in line with rivals such as the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, Ford EcoSport, Haval Jolion, Kia Sonet, and Toyota Corolla Cross, which are all priced between R300,000 and R381,000.

The new T-Cross Trendline is expected to have the same powertrain as the base Comfortline model, which has a 1.0-litre turbocharged gasoline engine and a five-speed manual transmission.

This configuration can provide 70kW of power and 175Nm of torque.

The current Comfortline consumes 4.8 litres of gasoline per 100 kilometres.

The new Volkswagen will be followed in 2023 by upgraded models and various brand options, including the Tiguan TDI, around the same time as the T-Cross Trendline.

Both the VW Polo Sedan TSI and the VW Touareg Facelift are slated to arrive in South Africa in the fourth quarter of this year.

Currently, the modules are priced as follows:

• Comfortline – R393,400
• Highline – R478,000
• R-Line – R518,800