Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) could be expanding its SUV line-up here in Malaysia, according to a comment by Managing Director Erik Winter in a press conference following the launch of the new 2021 Arteon R-Line 4Motion.
“We are always looking into which models can we bring into the market, which models will fit in the malaysian market,” winter said in response to questions from Journalists. “It’s not a surprise that our SUVs are of course the most successful models.”
“SUVs are in high demand worldwide, so we are also looking to expand our model line-up with more SUVs,” he added, but as usual when speaking about future product plans, stopped short on revealing any further information.
VPCM’s model line-up in Malaysia currently consists of just one model – the Tiguan Allspace – with the regular five-seater Tiguan being discontinued here in our country following the launch of its bigger sibling.
Globally though, the German carmaker’s arsenal of SUVs does have a few more models available, including the T-Roc, T-Cross, and Touareg, and the aforementioned Tiguan five-seater.
Click here to learn more about VPCM’s latest SUV here in Malaysia, the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace
Based on the list above, we think that the T-Roc and T-Cross will be the most likely candidate for a Malaysian introduction. According to Erik Winter, the Tiguan Allspace has actually enjoyed a 15-20% boost in sales compared to the smaller Tiguan 1.4 Highline, so it’s doubtful that VPCM will actually introduce a new model alongside the bigger Allspace variant.
As for the Touareg, the first generation model that was introduced here in Malaysia many years ago did not move many units, so we’re not holding our breaths for a new one anytime soon – especially when there are now so many options available from other premium brands that fall within the same price point.
This leaves us then with the Volkswagen T-Roc and T-Cross, the two smallest crossovers in VW’s global line-up. The B- to C-segment SUV market is a highly lucrative one here in Malaysia, as proven many times over by the Honda HR-V, Proton X50, and the Toyota Corolla Cross, so it’s possible that Volkswagen too, want a piece of that pie – especially since it’s not planning to bring in the Polo in the near future.
Could we even see the Volkswagen T-Roc R here in Malaysia? Well, a man can certainly dream…
Moreover, the 1.5-litre TSI inline-four engine that’s found on either models are already used in other models here in Malaysia, which could simplify its CKD process should Volkswagen choose to assemble the T-Roc and T-Cross here in Malaysia.
To be clear, these are all speculations at this point in time, as VPCM are still keeping mum about their future product plans. Either way, we’re excited to see what the future holds for the brand here in Malaysia, especially after all the Covid-19 gloom and doom passes over!
