Volkswagen T-cross
Smallest and cheapest Volkswagen SUV is set to rival the Seat Arona On sale Summer 2019 Price from £17,000 (est)
Polo-based small SUV will cost from £17k
AS ANY HORSE racing jockey will tell you, size is no measure of ability. So even though Volkswagen’s SUV line-up already contains the luxurious Touareg, versatile Tiguan (along with its seven-seat sibling, the Tiguan Allspace) and funky T-roc, there’s room for an all-new model at the bottom of the range. That model is the T-cross.
Based on the Polo hatchback, the T-cross also shares many of its parts with the Seat Arona – an ideal place to start, given that the Arona is our 2018 Small SUV of the Year.
The T-cross should be a practical choice, even more so than the Arona. Its rear seats can slide forwards or backwards, allowing you to prioritise rear leg room or boot space. with the seats all the way back, there’s 385 litres of boot space – slightly less than you get in the Arona but more than in the rival Renault Captur with its seats in the same position.
If you need more space, the T-cross’s rear seats also split and fold in a 60/40 arrangement.the T-cross’s front passenger seat can (optionally) fold down too, allowing you to accommodate longer items.
The rest of the T-cross’s interior is fairly standard Volkswagen fare, with a 6.5in or 8.0in central touchscreen for infotainment and a digital instrument panel in place of traditional analogue dials.you can specify up to four USB ports for connecting devices, too.
Under the bonnet, the T-cross offers the same choice of engines as the Arona.the range kicks off with 94bhp and 113bhp 1.0-litre threecylinder turbocharged petrol units.the lower-powered version is the engine we recommend in the Arona for its gutsy performance and excellent real-world fuel economy.
If you need more power, there’s also a 148bhp 1.5-litre turbo petrol model that can cover the 0-62mph sprint in 7.8sec. this engine can shut down two of its four cylinders when you’re cruising to save fuel, too.
Volkswagen hasn’t ditched diesel entirely for the T-cross; there’s a sole 94bhp 1.6-litre engine on offer for high-mileage drivers.
Gearbox options are ve and six-speed manuals, or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. there won’t be a plug-in hybrid version of the T-cross, because VW of cials consider the technology too expensive to t to such a small SUV, at least in this rst generation.
Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection is standard, as is a lane departure warning system, while adaptive cruise control and a self-parking system are on the options list.
You can personalise your car by specifying body-coloured trim on the seats, wheels and dashboard, while the latter can also be done in stripes or a geometric pattern.
Prices for the T-cross are expected to start at around £17,000, making it slightly more expensive than older but big-selling rivals such as the Captur and Nissan Juke, as well as the Arona.
Our early drive of a prototype T-cross in the September 2018 issue revealed that it has the potential to be a class leader, with a practical interior that offers a comfortable driving position. Handling is nimble, too, with the T-cross feeling light around town and surefooted on faster, winding roads.