Volkswagen Is Killing Its Convertible SUV
Volkswagen T-Roc Convertible (2022)
Plus, we finally know when Porsche is going to unveil the new Macan.
Volkswagen won’t renew the T-Roc Convertible for a second generation, and Porsche will show us the Macan EV later this month.
This is AM Drive, Motor1’s daily look at the news you need before you get in your car.
The Volkswagen T-Roc Convertible Won’t Get A Second Generation
Some might find it a bit puzzling that Volkswagen green-lighted a convertible version of the T-Roc compact crossover. However, sales figures haven’t been terrible for VW’s sole cabriolet. It was the second best-selling car with a folding top in the first 11 months of 2023 in Europe. No fewer than 11,693 units were sold on the Old Continent, enough for the droptop T-Cross to be outsold only by the Mini Convertible.
However, that’s still not enough to warrant the development of a follow-up model. The spiritual successor of the Golf Convertible will not live to see a second generation. Speaking in Las Vegas during the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), VW development chief said the new T-Roc coming next year won’t spawn another cabrio variant. With the announced demise, it means the VW brand will be left without a convertible in its portfolio, having axed the hardtop Eos back in 2016.
The crossover-only T-Roc will be among the last new VW to get combustion engines since the Wolfsburg-based marque has pledged to go fully electric in Europe by 2033. Essentially a crossover version of the Golf, the model will ride on the MQB Evo platform shared with the hatchback’s upcoming mid-cycle facelift. The architecture has already underpinned the larger Tiguan as well as the wagon-only Passat.
The Porsche Macan EV Debuts This Month
Porsche Macan (2024)
After a painstakingly long teaser campaign, the second-generation Macan will finally break cover on January 25. The announcement was quietly made on Porsche’s international website but without any further details. However, all the official previews have included everything from technical specifications to a complete look at the screen-heavy interior.
The Macan EV is unlikely to be sold alongside the gasoline-fueled model in European Union countries where Porsche is reportedly forced to discontinue the ICE model. Why? Because it apparently doesn’t meet the upcoming cybersecurity regulations to be applied in the EU later this year.
It means customers will be stuck with the purely electric model, which promises up to 603 hp and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm). It’ll be the first Porsche to ride on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) hardware co-developed with Audi, which will be selling its own version as the Q6 E-Tron / Q6 E-Tron Sportback.
Expect these SUVs to have all-wheel drive with dual motors, air suspension, rear-wheel steering, two-valve dampers, and many other goodies. Porsche has also confirmed an electronic locking differential at the rear, a 100-kWh battery pack, 270-kW maximum charging power, more staggered tires compared to the gas Macan, and a 48:52 weight distribution.
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Source: Porsche, Automotive News Europe