VW has at least three new vehicles in store for the South African market in 2025, including a hatchback and two SUVs.
The hatchback in question is the facelifted Golf 8.5 in TSI guise – in other words, a standard Golf – which will be accompanied by the all-new Tayron and a more affordable version of the T-Cross, the automaker confirmed to media including IOL.
T-Cross
The new T-Cross touched down in South Africa in August 2024 in a limited selection of three models badged the Life, Style, and R-Line.
All three are driven by a turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol motor good for 85kW and 200Nm, hence, they are differentiated by their styling and feature sets.
The new model will slot in below the current base option, the T-Cross Life, and is set to receive a detuned engine churning out 70kW.
At this point it’s still unclear whether it will also be slightly de-specced in terms of creature comforts, though it’s a strong probability.
With its latest range of products, VW typically offers a base model that does not have any special trim name, followed by some variation of Life, Style, and R-Line options – for instance, the Amarok, Polo Vivo, and Tiguan all follow this nomenclature scheme.
It’s thus entirely possible that VW will launch a new entry-level model simply called the T-Cross with fewer nice-to-haves than its peers and driven by a 70kW motor, in an effort to regain a foothold in the budget crossover segment.
The T-Cross Life currently retails for R462,200, and it’s likely that VW is eyeing a price range of around R400,000 for the new base entry should it want to take on popular rivals in this space like the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, Haval Jolion, and Toyota Urban Cruiser.
The new T-Cross is currently earmarked for a debut in February 2025.
VW T-Cross R-Line
VW Golf 8.5 TSI
When the eighth-generation Golf was introduced to our roads in 2021, it only came in high-performance GTI and R guise, with the TSI reserved for international markets.
At the time, the automaker told TopAuto that its strategy in South Africa “focuses on the performance attributes of the Golf” and that it was keeping an eye on the appetite for a normal version of the hatchback.
It seems demand wasn’t enough to justify the launch of a Golf 8 TSI, though this is about to change with the updated Golf 8.5.
VW said that South Africa’s poor fuel quality has thrown a wrench into its plans to bring the new GTI and R to the country.
As such, it has revised its strategy and will now bring a more affordable TSI variant to local showrooms driven by a 1.4-litre, turbo-petrol mill with 110kW and 250Nm, instead of the 2.0-litre blocks found in its hot hatch stablemates.
Pricing for the TSI is still under wraps, though looking at its competition such as the Mazda 3, Mini Cooper, and Toyota Corolla, we’re expecting a ballpark figure of around R600,000 for the VW.
Also, keep in mind that the Golf is likely to undercut its half-sibling, the Audi A3, the latter of which starts at R682,100.
The new VW Golf 8.5 TSI is anticipated to make landfall in the country in the first quarter of 2025.
Tayron
The Tayron will be a brand-new SUV in VW’s South African portfolio, replacing the vaunted Tiguan Allspace seven-seater.
Unveiled in October, the Tayron sits on the same platform as the new Tiguan but is a good 230mm longer to accommodate a third row of seating. If the two-row option is selected, it provides a cavernous boot capacity of 885 litres.
With the arrival of the SUV still a good while away, VW has kept mum on its local specifications and features.
In Europe, it’s offered with mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid, turbo-petrol (TSI), and turbo-diesel (TDI) power.
However, with fuel quality a real concern for the brand, it’s likely the Tayron will be available in our market with variations of the 1.4 TSI, 2.0 TSI, and 2.0 TDI powerplants found in the Tiguan.
The first units of the Tayron are scheduled to appear in South Africa between July and September 2025.
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