Welcoming our longterm 2025 Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0 TSi Style
There is no denying that South African car buyers are besotted with crossovers and SUVs. For the next few months, we will discover why the T-Cross is one of South Africa's best-selling crossovers as the team spends a few weeks each with the brand-new Style derivative.
Launched in South Africa in late 2019, the VW T-Cross shot to the top of Volkswagen's sales charts, becoming a firm favourite of South African consumers. Subsequent facelifts and updates over the last five years have maintained its status and made it a popular choice for buyers in this segment. The subcompact crossover segment is bustling, with well over 35 vehicles, but Volkswagen is holding its own.
Related: Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0 TSi 70Kw Manual (2025) First Drive Review
Having recently had a complete overhaul of its model lineup and gradewalk, the T-Cross has now been reduced to 5 model offerings, and to allow us to understand better the space in which the T-Cross competes, Volkswagen SA has given us a T-Cross in Style trim to put to the test for the next six months. After just over three weeks behind the wheel, we have found the T-Cross to be a very amicable drive, and after a recent long weekend away in the bush and using the T-Cross as our de facto camping vehicle, this is what we have to say.
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Styling
The range was stylistically updated at the recent model update, but these updates can most easily be seen with the Style derivative. Exterior-wise, the biggest change is to the lighting system, with the vehicle now featuring VW's ID Lighting upfront and a full LED system at the rear. Both systems receive a long LED lightbar connecting the left and right lenses.
The T-Cross Style comes with larger, 17-inch "Manila" alloy wheels, which are a step up from the base model's 16-inch options and fill the wheel arches better, giving the car a more substantial stance. This trim also adds chrome and silver accents, such as silver roof rails, providing a functional and stylish element. You will also find subtle chrome accents on the front bumper or around the fog lights.
It balances a rugged, functional SUV and a chic, urban crossover. Its compact dimensions make it perfect for city driving, but its design suggests a more adventurous spirit. In this trim, the T-Cross is a beautiful vehicle.
The Drive
Having tested many of the current subcompact crossover machines available for sale, I believe the T-Cross is among the most comfortable of the lot, offering a great driving position, excellent visibility, and a bright and airy cabin. It may be a bit slow out of the blocks, but it makes up for it quickly with a controlled and dynamic drive that will see you quickly pull away and ahead of traffic around you without any wheelspin or high revs. It's a very grown-up car that one can see is aimed at young professionals.
Performance
Under the bonnet, you will find a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine mated to a 7-speed DSG (dual-clutch) transmission. The combination delivers 85kW and 200Nm, which translates to a vehicle that might be a little slow off the line but picks up speed very quickly and will maintain well above freeway speeds once it comes into boost. Flipping into Sport mode, you can immediately feel the vehicle tense up with acceleration and gear changes sharpening, giving the car a more dynamic feel.
The Style may be a little slow off the line until it gets into boost range, but it can do the 0-100km sprint in just over 10 seconds, making it quite spritely. It can reach a limited top speed of 193km/h, but I don't believe you should ever try to test that theory out.
Space and Comfort
The biggest changes are to the interior, where VW has updated almost everything. Volkswagen has replaced the hard, scratchy plastic from previous models with soft-touch materials on the dashboard. This gives the interior a more refined and upscale feel, akin to larger and more expensive VW models. The Style trim includes front sport seats offering better support and comfort for the driver and passenger. The upholstery is a step up from the base model, often featuring a more stylish cloth. Ambient lighting is a standard feature on this trim level.
The new, free-standing infotainment display is the interior's central element. This modern design gives the dash a clean, minimalist look. The Style trim comes standard with automatic climate control. This system has a touch-sensitive control panel (often prone to fingerprints) but allows separate temperature settings for the driver and front passenger.
The Style trim is equipped with the more advanced Digital Cockpit Pro. This is a larger, high-resolution screen measuring 10.25 inches that is highly customisable. The central infotainment system is an 8.0-inch touchscreen display. The system is intuitive and responsive, featuring a clean user interface. It is a major improvement over previous generations.
You also now get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This allows you to seamlessly integrate your smartphone's functions without needing to plug in a cable. The system also includes a wireless charging pad for compatible devices. Just above the said pad, you will find multiple USB-C ports for charging devices or making a wired connection.
A standout feature is the sliding rear bench seat. This allows you to prioritise either rear passenger legroom or boot space. You can slide the seats forward to expand the cargo capacity from 385 litres to 455 litres. The luggage compartment has an adjustable floor, which can be raised to create a flat loading surface when the rear seats are folded down.
Safety
The Volkswagen T-Cross earned a 5 Star NCAP rating, and although the lower-spec models may be devoid of some safety features, the Style derivative has quite a comprehensive list of safety equipment.
Passive Safety Features
These features are designed to protect occupants during a collision.
Airbags: The T-Cross Style has six airbags, including front, side, and curtain airbags to protect occupants in a crash.
Robust Structure: The vehicle's body is engineered to maintain a stable passenger compartment in the event of an impact.
Proactive Occupant Protection System: This system can sense an imminent collision and automatically take protective measures, such as closing windows and pre-tensioning seat belts.
ISOFIX Child Seat Anchors: These anchor points are standard and provide a secure way to install child safety seats.
Active Safety and Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)
The 2025 T-Cross Style has a range of ADAS features, many of which fall under Volkswagen's IQ.DRIVE suite. This system includes the following:
Front Assist with City Emergency Braking: This crucial safety feature uses radar to monitor the distance to the vehicle ahead. If it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and acoustic warnings. If the driver doesn't react, the system can automatically apply the brakes to avoid or mitigate an impact. It also includes Pedestrian and Cyclist Monitoring.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC): This system goes beyond standard cruise control by maintaining a set distance from the vehicle in front. The "Stop & Go" functionality allows it to bring the car to a complete stop in traffic and automatically resume driving.
Lane Assist (Lane Keeping System): This system detects lane markings using a camera and helps keep the vehicle centred in its lane. If the car starts drifting, it warns and can even apply gentle steering corrections.
Lane Change System (Side Assist) with Rear Traffic Alert: This system monitors your blind spots for other vehicles. If you indicate a lane change while a car is in your blind spot, a warning light flashes on the side mirror. The Rear Traffic Alert function warns you of crossing traffic when reversing out of a parking space and can automatically brake if a collision is imminent.
Park Assist: This feature can help with parallel and perpendicular parking by assisting with steering, while the driver controls the accelerator and brake.
Rear View Camera and Parking Distance Sensors: The T-Cross Style includes front and rear sensors and a rear-view camera to assist with parking and manoeuvring.
IQ.Light LED Matrix Headlights: Standard on the Style trim, these advanced headlights can automatically adjust the beam pattern to provide optimal illumination without dazzling oncoming drivers.
Driver Alert System: This system monitors driver behaviour for signs of fatigue and recommends taking a break.
Hill Start Assist: Prevents the vehicle from rolling backwards when starting on a slope.
Fuel Consumption
Volkswagen claims consumption figures of 5.6 L/100km. Over the last few weeks, we have returned, on average, 6.2 L/100km on the combined cycle. This means we have been getting roughly 655km of range from the 40-litre fuel tank. The current fuel price of R 21.50 per litre costs us R900 to fill up from empty.
Price
| Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0TSI manual | R 399 900 |
| Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0TSI auto | R 418 200 |
| Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0TSI Life | R 471 400 |
| Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0TSI Style | R 511 300 |
| Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0TSI R-Line | R 548 400 |
Volkswagen sells the T-Cross with a 3 Year / 120 000 km warranty and a 3 Year / 45 000 km service plan and offers various optional maintenance plans.
The Verdict
The T-Cross in its Style derivative is a fantastic, well-equipped drive with more than enough grunt for daily life in the suburbs. Minor issues surrounding the DCT programming can be overlooked, but the price is hard to ignore. With Chinese manufacturers offering similar or even better trimmings and options at cheaper prices, the T-Cross, as great as it is, is a hard sell to cash-strapped consumers. I, for one, am quite sold and would easily park a T-Cross in my own garage, but would be interested to see what my colleagues have to say in future update articles.
