After much deliberation, Volkswagen recently announced that it had made a deal to build a new compact SUV at its plant in Wolfsburg. Expected to be called the Marrakesh, this smaller companion to the Touareg will be built on the same platform as the fifth-generation Golf. Engines will probably be similar to those offered on the Golf, with both four- and six-cylinder power plants a possibility as well as a turbodiesel if VW can get it to pass strict U.S. emissions laws.
The 4Motion all-wheel-drive system will also be borrowed from the next-generation Golf, but like most other SUVs in the compact class it won't be a hard-core rock crawler like the Touareg. It's expected that the Marrakesh will cost between $25K and $35K, putting it in direct competition with the BMW X3 and Land Rover Freelander.
Look for the 2007 Volkswagen Marrakesh to debut at either of Europe's two major auto shows next year, in Geneva and Paris. The car is expected to go into production in 2007, with American sales starting shortly thereafter.
The 4Motion all-wheel-drive system will also be borrowed from the next-generation Golf, but like most other SUVs in the compact class it won't be a hard-core rock crawler like the Touareg. It's expected that the Marrakesh will cost between $25K and $35K, putting it in direct competition with the BMW X3 and Land Rover Freelander.
Look for the 2007 Volkswagen Marrakesh to debut at either of Europe's two major auto shows next year, in Geneva and Paris. The car is expected to go into production in 2007, with American sales starting shortly thereafter.
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