Volkswagen has taken the wraps off the much-anticipated Tera small SUV, which will be built and sold in SA from 2027.
VW announced a year ago that the new Polo-based crossover would be built at its Kariega plant near Gqeberha, in a R4bn investment. The vehicle will slot under the imported T-Cross as VW’s smallest and most affordable SUV and will be built in the factory alongside the Polo and Polo Vivo.
On Sunday, the new car had its global premiere in Brazil where it will be called the Tera, but a different name will be chosen for SA. Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) MD Martina Biene said that although all VW’s existing SUVs and crossovers start with the letter “T” (including Tiguan, Taigo and Touareg), that would not necessarily be the case for the new car. VWGA has shortlisted four “African” names for the vehicle and will ask the public to vote for one in a soon-to-be-launched publicity campaign.
Technical details of the Tera have not yet been announced and only the exterior and interior design have been revealed.
In SA the car is likely to be powered by one or more of the three engines available in the Polo Vivo range, which comprise normally aspirated 1.4l and 1.6l petrol four-cylinder units and a turbocharged 1.0l three-cylinder.
The Tera has styling influenced by the VW Taigo with a thin honeycomb grille but has unique features such as broken-off LED daytime running lights, a bumper with prominent air dams, and diamond-cut 17-inch alloy wheels.
Its size is not confirmed but it should be smaller than the T-Cross which is 4,135mm long. It is too soon to speculate on pricing but it will be cheaper than the T-Cross which currently starts at R400,700.
Inside, the Tera features a minimalist layout conforming to VW’s modern trend, with a large touchscreen infotainment system, steering wheel controls, and digital instrument panel.
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