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17 AutoData | November 2018 Long live Fox One of the last-longing automobiles of uninterrupted production on the same platform in the Brazilian industry, the Volkswagen Fox, is far from retirement. Produced since 2003 in São José dos Pinhais, the model has had the number of versions and catalog complexity reduced little by little in recent years due to the arrival of novelties in the house, such as the new generations of Gol and Polo. Today, the dealers offer Fox only in two versions, Connect, with manual and automatized transmission options, and the Xtreme, manual only, without optional features. But in September, an unexpected order came to the directors of the factory: to expand Fox’s production. The president of Volkswagen, Pablo Di Si, said: “Dealers ask us for more Fox. We simplify the portfolio, we reduced the color portfolio and the consumer still wants to buy it. Then, long live Fox”. with turbo and direct injection. The 250 TSI Total Flex is 1.4, generates up to 150 hp with ethanol and will only be offered with a Tiptronic six-speed automatic transmis- sion. Another engine, the 200 TSI Total Flex 1.0 reaches 128 hp with ethanol and can receive manual or automatic transmission. Di Si also said that the supply of info- tainment items will be greater than the competition. An 8-inch touchscreen mul- timedia system will bring together audio, navigation and artificial intelligence: “Only T-Crosswill have the IBMWatson”, a sort of cognitive manual that answers the driver’s questions about the vehicle. The T-Cross will come out of the pain- ting line in eight colors: white, black, silver, gray, red, blue, orange and bronze. Optio- nally, the ceiling can be in the black color or panoramic, formed by two glass panels. Safety items include seven airbags and awide range of driving assistance systems such as ESC (electronic stability control), HHC (Hill Hold Control) HBA, which as- sists in emergency braking situations, EDS (Electronic Dynamic System), tire pressure monitoring and post-collision automatic braking. The versions and priceswill be released only in the commercial launch. Until then, the other competitors get ready: they gain strength and sharpen teeth and claws. The fight promises to be wild. EQUAL BUT DIFFERENT The Brazilian T-Cross is slightly different from other global markets to meet local requirements: only in Brazil it has AC vent in the rear seats, for example.