
VW has an exciting year lined up for South Africa, with at least three new cars destined for our shores.
This includes a more affordable option for both the T-Cross and Golf, as well as the all-new Tayron
What’s in store
The latest version of the T-Cross arrived in South Africa in August 2024, but it was missing one notable feature.
While the pre-facelift version was sold with multiple engines, the new models are currently limited to a higher-spec 1.0-litre TSI plant with 85kW and 200Nm.
This had the unintended side effect of significantly increasing the crossover’s price to a minimum of R462,200, but the good news is that VW is planning to reintroduce the entry-grade engine, which is detuned to produce 70kW and 175Nm.
These units are scheduled to land in February this year, and while VW has yet to disclose the price for the returning engine, it should help lower the cost of entry by an appreciable amount.
As far as equipment is concerned, the T-Cross currently has three variants labelled the Life, Style, and R-Line, and it’s possible the 70kW models will follow the same template.
That being said, VW often sells an entry-level version of its mass-market cars that lack any additional qualifier, so a base T-Cross with a modest spec sheet seems like a strong possibility as well.
Next up is the VW Golf, which has been relegated to its high-performance GTI and R specifications since the eighth generation arrived in South Africa in 2021.
The decision to forego an everyday version of the hatchback was primarily driven by market factors, as C-segment hatchback sales have been on the decline for years but the hot hatch was still deemed to be popular enough to be brought in for the enthusiasts.
Cut to 2025, and VW has finally elected to bring in the Golf TSI, albeit for an unusual reason.
The carmaker was previously intent on launching the updated 8.5 version of the GTI and R but ran into problems concerning South Africa’s poor fuel quality.
The performance models’ 2.0-litre engines require high-quality petrol to perform at their best, essentially making them incompatible with South Africa’s deteriorating propellant standards.
Consequently, the regular TSI hatchback, fitted with a 1.4-litre turbo mill with 110kW and 250Nm, will be brought in by the end of Q1 to make up for the loss of the new hot hatches.
The last model confirmed for our market is the new Tayron, which is built on the same platform as the next-gen Tiguan that was released at the end of September.
The old Tiguan had a seven-seater counterpart in the form of the Tiguan Allspace, but this model never seemed to reach the heights of its five-seater sibling in our market despite the popularity of the Tiguan and seven-seater SUVs in general.
In response, Volkswagen is ditching the Allspace badge for the new Tayron, which should arrive between July and September this year.
The company has yet to confirm the specs for the SUV, but the vehicle is already on sale in Europe with two hybrid motors, as well as turbo-petrol (TSI) and turbo-diesel (TDI) blocks.
The hybrid units are a bit of a long shot, given that VW is currently testing the waters for new-energy transport in Mzansi with the limited rollout of the ID.4 Pro, but the TSI and TDI already found in the Tiguan should be fair game.
As a reminder, the Tiguan is available with a 1.4-litre TSI with 110kW and 250Nm, a 2.0-litre TDI with 110kW and 340Nm, and a 2.0-litre TSI with 140kW and 350Nm.
One other vehicle worth mentioning is the VW Amarok, which was previously set to receive a new petrol engine in 2024.
Thus far, the bakkie has been exclusively sold with a selection of turbo-diesel powertrains but the automaker was investigating the idea of launching a 2.3-litre turbo-petrol unit to expand the vehicle’s appeal.
The stated reasoning is that upmarket lifestyle double cabs have seen growing interest in South Africa, which is something a petrol model would be well-suited for given its smoother performance compared to most diesel options.
In late 2024, however, VW announced it was putting these plans on hold, stating that its current selection of models is sufficient for our market.
While no updates have been provided since, it’s worth keeping the Amarok in mind on the off-chance that the Wolfsburg-based company decides we are ready for a new petrol bakkie.
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