The customer is king & with car buyers wanting a car that looks like an SUV, Volkswagen launched a supermini-based SUV the T-Cross back in 2019. The T-Cross is based on the Polo & with it’s more upright shape comes with a spacious cabin & a decent sized boot. It’s just been updated for 2024 & here’s how we got on in the new Rubber Ducky Yellow colour.
Outside
From the outside, the T-Cross still looks like a mini-Tonka Toy, but has had some subtle upgrades. Both the front and rear bumpers have been updated & the rear lights on higher specced versions now feature an X-wing design that complement the lights that spread’s right across the boot.
Inside
The cabins been updated too with a new dashboard design, brighter fabrics, plusher materials & a lot more tech & safety. The front of the dash features some pleasant plastic, but the door pockets & lower down plastics aren’t as good. It all looks neat & tidy & is easy to live with too, even the sliding climate controls which we are finally getting used to. Our only gripe is the front seats which tilt down a touch meaning knees are alway above hips which equates to back ache. Even with some decent seat adjustment you can’t level the seat so beware of longer journeys.
Powertrains
Model choice & prices
PracticalityDecent sized front & rear door pockets will hold a couple of drinks bottles each. Up front, there are two more smaller drinks holders in between the front seats, a medium sized glove box, small cubby hole for odds & ends in front of the gear lever & a shallow dash-top storage space too. You also have two USB C connections in the front & in the rear plus a 12v socket alongside the starter button in front of the gear stick. Under the drivers seat there’s also a hidden draw perfect for storing valuables if you leave any in your car.
Space wise, front passengers get great head & leg room whilst there’s plenty of this in the back for two.The middle rear seat as always is compromised. By shifting the rear bench seats forward you do get extra boot space, up to 455 litres, but the extra space created produces a narrow, deep channel that’s lower than the rest of the boot, which means that smaller items can disappear into the void.
Infotainment & touchscreen
Safety
FleetFrom a fleet perspective, VW aren’t really pushing the T-Cross as a major fleet car, but if you want an SUV that offers Golf-like space, then it’s well worth considering. Our test model came with a combined fuel economy of 50.3 mpg & CO2 emissions of 128g/km, so it will attract higher BIK than a plug-in Golf for example.
Driving & economyWe were driving the 113bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder model connected to the six-speed manual transmission. It’s not especially quick,0/-62mph takes 10.2 seconds with a stop speed of 119mph, but with ample low down torque it gets the job done. Around town, this pocket-sized SUV is very easy to park. The steering is very light & responsive & it feels agile at low speeds allowing you to nip in & out of traffic.
Leaving the urban area & hitting some country roads, the T-Cross performs adequately, but because of it’s upright shape, it’s no match for the much more enjoyable drive offered in the VW Polo. The ride too is a little fidgety with the raised ride accentuating the bumps more than the lower-down Polo. On the motorway it performs better, offering comfortable cruising. A 150 mile motorway round trip in the T-Cross was nice & quiet, but from a comfort point of view, I really struggled with the slanting seat shape. 
On smaller local roads & in town it’s a decent performer but it won’t make you grin like a Polo can & with it offering pretty much the same driving dynamics as it’s Seat & Skoda brethren, you’re paying more for the privilege too. On the fuel economy side we ended up averaging 47.8mpg so not too far off the claimed.
ComparisonsOne of the benefits of writing about cars, is that us motoring writers are well placed to compare & contrast similar cars. In the T-Cross’s case, it’s priced a little above sister brand Seat’s Arona & Skoda’s Kamiq, but arguably it’s a more attractive car & feels more upmarket inside.
Citroens C3 Aircross is also cheaper & offers a more interesting take on the small SUV. It comes with a much softer ride than the VW, a Citroen trait, but doesn’t feel quite as poised or as well built as the VW.
Finally, the VW Polo on which the T-Cross is based also cost’s less & in our opinion offers a far more engaging drive than the T-Cross, but with a touch less practicality.
Pros
The cutest take on a small SUV. Very well equipped, large boot, practical cabin & comes with good safety across all models in the range.
Cons
More expensive than almost identical cars. We found the front seats uncomfortable. No plug-in option.
Conclusion
The T-Cross is definitely the nicest looking & best built VW family small SUV compared to the Seat Arona & Skoda Kamiq. It’s also very well equipped & the funky colour ways & exterior touches do make it stand out. However, if you can stomach not buying an SUV type car for just a moment, the Volkswagen Polo is much more comfortable to be in, is better to drive & costs less than all of these to.
Middle of the road 3/5
