Volkswagen T-cross

Volkswagen may have come late to the baby SUV party, but they’ve crafted a bestseller: meet the all-new T-cross

VOLKSWAGEN IS KNOWN FOR BUILDING GREAT SUVS : Tiguan, Tiguan Allspace, T-roc and the legendary Touareg.

ey’ve nally entered the minisuv segment – and

killed it. e Polobased T-cross may be a late arrival, but not if you consider how fast it’s selling. Polo lovers are no doubt making the switch to the re ned version of the country’s favourite vehicle, and it’ll probably poach a fair amount of the competition too.

I immediately fell in love with the look of the new Volksie, from its bold Touareg-like grille to the uninterrupted rear light band, unique to VW and borrowed from its family member, Porsche. e fresh, contemporary colours, three that are new, are eye-catching and will draw lovers of all things bold and beautiful. e

Makena Turquoise, along with the Energetic Orange, is the strongest.

e T-cross is much more than a Polo SUV. Wolfsburg’s latest o ering is a real

SUV and has been a xture on SA roads since its release last year. VW’S new baby SUV meets, and exceeds, expectations – albeit entry-level, it’s a great vehicle.

Its appearance, with LED daytime running lights, optional R-line exterior and those 43cm Manila alloy wheels, ticks all the boxes. And, surprisingly, even its tiny “motorcycle” engine manages to impress.

e car is so much fun to drive, especially on narrow, windy roads, like the one between Nature’s Valley and Bloukrans Pass on the Garden Route. e DSG auto box shi s awlessly, as usual. As soon as you need a bit more pull to overtake, you just have to the mode button to sport, then the steering tightens and the DSG shi s down. It’s not only dynamic; it stays quite comfortable as well.

Although it’s already incredibly spacious (with room for four adults), the car feels bigger when you’re driving it. e rear seats are adjustable by 14cm, and the foldable ick passenger seat makes transporting bulky cargo a breeze.

When it comes to its size, the T-cross

ts comfortably between the 6cm shorter Polo and the 12cm longer T-roc, which is based on the Golf. Another big perk is the 377 litre boot, making it one of the largest in its category, with enough room for a full-size spare wheel. Obviously, VW had to be savvy with their spending, so the interior has a hard, plastic look and feel. Luckily, this can be jazzed up by mixing and matching di erent colour options. For the tech-savvy, you’ll enjoy the entirely digital control panel and the 20cm touch screen located in the centre.

Safety is always a concern when it comes to driving smaller cars on South African roads, but the T-cross isn’t only equipped with all the usual driver alert systems; it also has a ve-star Euro NCAP safety rating, which is reassuring for the driver.

e T-cross is dynamite in an amazing package: a Polo in a superhero costume, if you will. And I can’t wait to drive the rangetopping 110kw version soon. In Energetic Orange, of course. –

‘The T-cross is dynamite in an amazing package: a Polo in a superhero costume, if you will’