Volkswagen developing sub-Tiguan crossover for America

This is why we won't see the T-Roc or the T-Cross here.

In Europe, Volkswagen's line-up of crossovers and SUVs has grown with the addition of two sub-Tiguan models called T-Roc and T-Cross, respectively. The company won't sell either model here; instead, it will design an entry-level crossover from scratch.

Car & Driver learned the yet-unnamed crossover will compete in the same segment as the Jeep Renegade and the Honda HR-V. It will likely ride on the modular MQB platform, which underpins a wide variety of Volkswagen models ranging from the Polo to the Atlas, but it will be a little bit bigger than the T-Roc and the T-Cross (pictured).

Like the Atlas and the version of the Passat sold here, the crossover will be developed specifically with the American market in mind. This decision reflects the increasingly large degree of independence Volkswagen's American division is getting from Wolfsburg. The trucklet may borrow styling cues from its European-bred siblings but it won't be merely an Americanized version of either model. Where Volkswagen will choose to build the model remains to be seen.

Volkswagen hasn't commented on what the future holds for its line-up of crossovers and SUVs. Right now, its entry-level soft-roader is an updated version of the last-generation Tiguan. If the report from Car & Driver is accurate, the U.S.-only crossover won't arrive until 2020.