AD_MAGAZINE_353

36 March 2019 | AutoData LAUNCH » T-CROSS André Barros, from Sao Jose dos Pinhais, PR FROM PARANA TO THE WORLD The T-Cross produced in Sao Jose dos Pinhais breaks the boundaries of Latin America and reaches almost fifty countries B eginning next year, Volkswagen will start sending the T-Cross SUV produced in Sao Jose dos Pinhais, PR, to twenty countries beyond La- tin America, breaking the kind of artificial boundary established in the last years and rarely surpassed by car manufacturers installed in Brazil. With that, according to the president Pablo Di Si, the model that has just arrived to the Brazilian dealerships will reach almost fifty markets – 29 only in the Latin American region alone. Lack of competitiveness, logistical di- fficulties, unfavorable exchange and other arguments widely repeated by executi- ves were obstacles for Brazilian cars to overcome the regional border. In recent years, more precisely the post-crisis that forced the automakers executives to put their briefcases under their arms and go out in search of other destinies to emp- ty the production of their factories, Latin America was transformed into a natural destiny for the Brazilian vehicle projects, previously limited to Argentina. But the models that go to countries outside the region are very rare - and, almost all of them are trucks. The T-Cross opens the world again for the Brazilian vehicle industry. Di Si affirms that countries in Africa, Asia and even