Volkswagen T-Cross gains Tiguan front end and eight-speed gearbox

Volkswagen launched in Mexico the restyling of the Taigun, the name that the T-Cross in some foreign markets and which has supplied the Mexican market since 2022, in place of the SUV made in Brazil. The facelift is not confirmed for the Brazilian line, which underwent an update in 2024, but may indicate future updates to the model.

It is noteworthy that, even with the free trade agreement between Brazil and Mexico, the brand prefers the Indian car. According to the automaker, the Taigun does not pay the 50% import tariff charged by the country because of the quota system to which Volkswagen is entitled for producing locally. The SUV is sold in two versions: the Comfortline, for around R$ 144 thousand, and the GT, unprecedented in the line, for around R$ 152 thousand.

Tiguan front and eight-speed gearbox

The front resembles that of the Tiguan, with narrower headlights, new bumpers and an LED-illuminated frieze on the grille. The Volkswagen logos light up on the front and rear, and the arrows are now sequential. The taillights are united by a darkened strip, now with new internal elements, and there are new wheel designs, in addition to the Avocado Green color, exclusive to the model.

Inside, the dashboard was redesigned and gained vertical air vents, synthetic leather upholstery and a 10″ semi-floating multimedia center with a new interface, accompanied by a digital instrument panel and wireless mirroring for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The GT version adds a panoramic sunroof, black roof and stringers, its own emblems, sports steering wheel with red stitching, ambient lighting in the same color and a dark interior.

The mechanical change is the transmission. The 1.0 TSI engine continues with 116 hp and 18,1 kgfm, but the automatic transmission went from six to eight gears. The list of assists is behind that of the Brazilian T-Cross: there is no adaptive cruise control, blind spot alert or lane keeping. Autonomous emergency braking, fatigue detector and six airbags are standard on both versions.

What changes in Brazil

Volkswagen is preparing two SUVs for mid-2028: Project Saga, which will give rise to the national version of the T-Roc, and Project A-SUV, intended for the next generation of the Taos. Both will have hybrid systems derived from the 1.5 TSI Evo2 engine.

The A-SUV was born as the new generation of the T-Cross, but the commercial performance of the current model led the brand to reposition the project. As a result, the T-Cross should receive a deeper renovation, with design traits from the ID electric family, to follow in line instead of being replaced. The account would close with five SUVs of national production: Tera, Nivus, T-Cross, the Saga Project and the Taos.