The world is crazy over SUVs, so automakers are rushing to fill every possible little niche they can to secure their piece of the pie. Over in Europe, Volkswagen has done just that by introducing the T-Roc as a model that slots below the Tiguan. But, the U.S. and the rest of the world needs a compact SUV as well, and that’s why Volkswagen has teased what it’s calling the Volks-SUV or “Peoples SUV.” It will slot below the Tiguan in in most other markets outside of Europe, including the United States. It will hit dealers in China first and will eventually be imported from Mexico into the U.S.

Volkswagen Brand CEO, Herbert Diess, told Automotive News Europe that the plan is to sell some 400,000 examples of the Volks-SUV globally. It will be built in Mexico, Russia, and Argentina, with the U.S. getting its supply from Mexico. It’s said to be just a bit more compact than the Tiguan and will also help the company comply with CO2 Emissions targets. So, don’t expect it to be powerful at all, either. It will be based on VW’s MQB platform and will likely be front-wheel-drive only.

In the end, it’s hard to make a business case for this SUV. The Volks-SUV is basically the same size as the T-Roc with some small modifications like a different front fascia and different rear quarter glass. It would certainly just make more sense to have the T-Roc as a global model, but then the brand couldn’t boast quite so many models in its lineup, right? For now, there’s no word as to when the Volks-SUV will hit the U.S. market, but you can expect it to come after 2020 as that’s when it’s production footprint will extend from China to the Russia, Argentina, and Mexico.

With that in mind, we’ll probably see the Volks-SUV hit the market in 2021, so there’s still a while to wait if you’re really wanted a small VW SUV. What do you think? Will this model stand out enough to be successful on the global market? Would VW have been better off to spread the T-Roc love across the globe? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

References

Volkswagen T-Roc

Read our full review on the 2018 Volkswagen T-Roc.

Read more Volkswagen news.