VW planning sub compact SUV / Crossover below Tiguan

VW planning Juke competitor

Volkswagen has revealed they are planning a compact SUV / Crossover to sit below the Tiguan.

Just last week Volkswagen revealed the Cross Coupe, a compact hybrid SUV, smaller than a Tiguan but bigger than a Golf. And now VW design boss Walter de Silva has revealed VW are planning a sub-compact SUV.

The Cross Coupe from VW is not a taste of the compact SUV VW are planning – and nor is it a taste of the next generation Tiguan – but is an indication of the future of VW’s design. That said, de Silva did say the Cross Coupe could herald an additional model appealing to those looking for a ‘Lifestyle’ SUV.

Volkswagen are keen to have a model in the compact SUV range to compete with cars like the Juke and the soon to arrive Fiesta EcoSportSUV. At present, all VW has to offer is the Cross Polo, a sort of high-riding, faux off-roading sub compact. A new sub compact SUV would probably be based on the Polo.

The sub compact / mini SUV market looks set to explode in the way the compact SUV market has. Compact SUVs – like VW’s own Tiguan, the Hyundai ix35, Ford Kuga and Mitsubishi ASX – are starting to fill the role traditionally occupied by family cars, and the mini SUV will doubtless burgeon off the back of that.

Even China, traditionally a saloon car market, is starting to ‘get’ the whole compact SUV idea, and that alone would be enough impetus for VW to extend their already successful SUV range; the Tiguan and Touareg are already the best selling models in their sector in Europe.

With European sales of mini/sub compact SUVs in Europe growing at a huge rate – up 81 per cent in Europe in the first half of 2011 with sales of 112k – VW aren’t going to want to miss out for long.