Thirty days with the new Volkswagen T-Cross
When I attended the launch of the new T-Cross last year, I knew I the T-Cross would be the ideal set of wheels for the festive season. Volkswagen SA obliged and at the beginning of last month, I took delivery of the T-Cross 1.0 TSI Comfortline in R-Line trim...
By the time I received the T-Cross, the school holidays had just started and my hometown of Hermanus was already bristling with holidaymakers. I had already spotted a few other T-Crosses on the road with Western Cape number plates; one in silver, a few white ones of course, and one in 'Energetic Orange.'
The new T-Cross was well-received here and has already made it to the top 10 list of SA's best-selling passenger cars. South Africans love their VW Polos and they adore compact SUVs, so the Polo-based T-Cross is the best of both worlds and VW showrooms can hardly keep up with the demand.
Related: The new T-Cross will knock off your socks
Styling
Volkswagen got it right with an ultramodern design for their smallest crossover. Neat and streamlined, it looks perfectly proportioned from every angle, and has just the right amount of chrome, creases and character lines. My favourite view of the T-Cross, by far, is the rear:The one-piece trim bar arrangement that visually connects the tail- and brake lights looks futuristically glamorous.
My Comfortline variant came fitted with optional 17-inch 'Manila' wheels that form part of the R-Line exterior getup (R18 000) but 16-inch wheels with thicker rubber are standard if you don't opt for the R-Line package. When we road-tripped to Arniston and parked in front of the turquoise ocean for a few snaps, many passers-by stopped to ask me questions about the new T-Cross. Throughout December there were a number inquiries about the car, usually from well-heeled parents looking to buy their child at Varsity something safe and practical, or trendy thirty-somethings looking for a sexy, multi-tasking SUV.
Related: VW T-Cross vs. Citroën C3 Aircross vs. Ford EcoSport
Interior
On the inside, the T-Cross continues to impress with a clean layout and ergonomic, upper-crust design. Agreed, you'll find more hard plastics in the T-Cross than in the Polo, but it has a hard-wearing feeling to it. The Comfortline model's standard seat material is smooth against the back of one's thighs and has a fashionable print that works well with the cabin's millennial-orientated style. Because of the material's texture, it can be easily wiped clean with a damp cloth.
The optional Discover Media infotainment Package at R 22 850 is a worthwhile option if you want to spend some money on tech that uplifts the cabin ambience in a number of ways. It includes 3D satnav, App-connect (for access via Apple CarPlay/Android Auto), voice Control, an inductive charging pad, and the Active Info Display. The four USB ports in the cabin (two in front and two in the back, were charging devices 'round the clock.
Space & Comfort
Another reason I thought the T-Cross would be an excellent holiday car, is because I needed enough space to seat three kids in the rear with room to spare in the boot for holiday paraphernalia, but small enough to prevent scratching the paintwork when making an escape out of an overcrowded beach parking lot.
The T-Cross is deceptively spacious inside and I can imagine that there are Tiguan owners who wish they had known about the upcoming T-Cross before making the commitment to a bigger and more expensive SUV. While the T-Cross's rear bench can be adjusted to create either more legroom or boot space, I never felt the need to slide it forwards or backwards (140mm of slide adjustment is available). On any given day we were able to fit three large boogie-boards, a large cooler bag, 5 towels and a compact picnic basket into the 377-litre boot, but we lay the rather long beach umbrella at the children's feet on the rear bench. I should add that the middle seat on the rear bench is a little narrow for an average-sized adult, but petite ladies and skinny teens (as well as triathletes) should be able to withstand longer trips.
Ride, performance, and fuel economy
The T-Cross's tried-and-trusted 1.0-litre 3-cylinder engine (with output figures of 85kW and 200 Nm) is decent enough for the city and highway but I had to drive the T-Cross quite hard to get going at inclines, (we traversed plenty of mountain passes) and at the end of the day my fuel economy didn't look quite as good as I thought it would. We mostly drove around Hermanus, Gordon's Bay, Strand and surrounds, but a trans-Overberg trip to Struisbaai and Arniston saw our 7.5 litres per 100 km fuel consumption drop down to a sensible 6. The DSG-transmission is perfectly suited to the engine and keeps the T-Cross in the right power band at all times, without having to 'hunt' for gears. The engine is quiet and it's only when you put your foot down to quickly flit through traffic that you hear the familiar 3-cylinder rumble. Driving the T-Cross in sport mode is highly recommended if you like the throttle to be a tad more responsive.
The T-Cross is composed around corners (and on gravel), and even the larger R-Line spec wheels didn't put too much of a dampener on our spirits on the dirt roads we encountered, but I would stick with the 16-inch standard alloys for a ride that's a little less firm.
Safety
Every T-Cross in the line-up comes with ABS, EBD, traction/stability control, Hill-start assist, and six airbags, trailer stability control, park distance control (front and rear) a tyre pressure monitor, and VW's driver alert and multi-collision braking system. Our test model had the park package (R 9 300) installed which equips the T-Cross with power folding mirrors, parking assistance, a rearview camera and parking sensors. The T-Cross gets a five star EuroNCAP rating.
If you can afford to, you'll soon be able to specify your new T-Cross with more high-tech safety kit such as a lane-keeping assistant, adaptive cruise control, and integrated rear-traffic alert, as more of VW's "IQ Drive" semi-autonomous technologies make their way into the T-Cross this year.
Price
In this price range there are a multitude of SUVs to choose from, but the T-Cross is one of the most refined and sophisticated packages to be found. If your budget allows, the feistier T-Cross 1.5 TSI will also be on the menu later this year.
The 1.0TSI Comfortline variant (from R343 300 without options) currently variant offers the best value in the line-up, but if you're keen on a T-Cross that's going to cost you a little less in monthly repayments, hold your horses until the 1.0-litre, 70kW manual T-Cross makes its appearance soon. It is expected to come in at just under R300 000.
Other alternatives in this segment include the Hyundai Creta, Hyundai Venue, Mazda CX-3, Citroën C3 Aircross, Nissan Qashqai and the now-turbocharged 1.4-litre Suzuki Vitara.
Related: Is the Suzuki Vitara a good car for families?
Verdict
South Africa is right — the T-Cross is a car worth buying and will suit everyone from single moms to young professionals, busy families and trendy couples, and our December romp in the T-Cross is testament to this. If you have R343 000 to spend on a new SUV, the T-Cross may just be exactly what you're looking for.
Recommended next
