Volkswagen's SUV offensive continues, with the production reveal of the Nivus compact crossover. It has been a long time coming, with plenty of teasers along the way. It's aimed at the South American market primarily, with a European-spec model due a bit later.
Underpinned by the MQB A0 platform of the Volkswagen Polo, this stylish compact crossover looks rugged and actually capable of handling something a bit more than just a gravel road, thanks to what appears to be decent ground clearance. Despite its compact size, boot space is claimed at 415 litres, which is pretty good by segment standards. If you look closely, you'll see this is yet another Volkswagen product with the new logo.
The Volkswagen Nivus is powered by the 1.0-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder motor with 95 kW and 200 Nm. This engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. In terms of safety spec, it boasts 6 airbags and adaptive cruise control, as well as autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection. In terms of features, it has what Volkswagen calls "VW Play", which is an infotainment system designed specifically for the Latin American market. This system featuresAndroid Auto and Apple CarPlay, as well as a 10gb hard drive to store content.
It will be made in South America, with the Volkswagen plant in Pamplona, Spain starting assembly later. This plant makes the SA-spec Volkswagen T-Cross.
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