Reviews > Volkswagen > Volkswagen T-Cross
Volkswagen T-Cross review 2024
Volkswagen T-Cross (1) (1)
Volkswagen T-Cross (2) (1)
Volkswagen T-Cross (7) (1)
Volkswagen T-Cross (8) (1)
Volkswagen T-Cross (3) (1)
Volkswagen T-Cross (4) (1)
Volkswagen T-Cross (6) (1)

Quick overview

  • Comfortable
  • Good to drive
  • Good practicality
  • Safety kit
  • Some cheap cabin plastics,
  • Ford Puma is sharper to drive
  • Higher trims not worth paying more for
  • R-Line’s firmer ride

Volkswagen has a wide range of SUVs, including a compact model in the shape of the T-Roc, so you may wonder about the need for the T-Cross. However, it’s quickly apparent this is a very affordable and capable part of the firm’s SUV offering. It’s ideal for town driving as it’s a doddle to park and manoeuvre through congested streets. As you’d expect of a VW, all of the controls are light and work with an easy flowing motion, so the T-Cross comes over as a car that has been very well thought through. IT’s not as keen to drive as a Ford Puma, but for the vast majority of small SUV drivers the VW will be spot on thanks to its good comfort and refinement.

The engine range for the T-Cross has been pruned back to just three petrol motors, two of them based on the three-cylinder 1.0-litre TSI motor that works so well in the Polo. In 95- and 110hp forms, it does just as good a job in the T-Cross, but you probably want to steer towards the 110hp motor if you drive on a variety of roads and not just about town. This engine is also offered with VW’s seven-speed DSG twin-clutch automatic transmission whereas the 95hp motor only comes with a manual gearbox. The other motor on offer is the 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 150hp for the R-Line trim. It delivers good performance, but it's harder to justify this option when you could have the more engaging drive of the T-Roc for the same sort of money. Volkswagen doesn’t offer a hybrid or electric version of the T-Cross, so rivals like the Peugeot 2008 and Vauxhall Mokka have an edge here.

Yet, the T-Cross remains a sound choice as it has a roomy cabin filled with a decent amount of standard equipment. It’s also more versatile than most rivals thanks to a sliding rear bench being used in every model of T-Cross, which very few of its rivals can match. With boot space on a par with a Golf, the T-Cross could easily function as a family’s only car.

Prices

The Volkswagen T-Cross takes off with the SE trim with the 95hp 1.0-litre engine that costs from £22,370. Upgrading to the 110hp engine in this model brings a price of £23,145 and gets you a six-speed manual gearbox in place of the five-speeder in the 95hp car. Upgrading to the automatic DSG transmission comes with a premium of just over £1500. Next in line is the Black Edition that starts at £22,920 for the 95hp model, with the 110hp version priced at £23,695 and the auto attracting the same premium as with the SE. Move up to the SE L and prices begin at £25,590 for the 110hp manual or £27,115 for the auto, while the 1.5 TSI Evo with DSG automatic gearbox comes in at £28,490. At the top of the range sits the R-Line model costing from £27,560 for the 110hp manual and the DSG version for that same £1500 premium as other models. This trim is also available with the 1.5-litre engine, which costs £30,460. Some diligent research when buying a new T-Cross could save you up to £1800, depending on the trim and engine choice, while a nearly new T-Cross with fewer than 5000 miles under its wheels could be yours from £20,000. A 30,000-mile, three-year old T-Cross will cost from £15,300.

Infotainment, comfort and practicality

Imagine sitting on a big, plump cushion in a Volkswagen Polo and that’s pretty much what you get in the T-Cross compact SUV. It raises the driver up higher than in the likes of the Ford Puma or Peugeot 2008, so it has that all-important SUV feel. You also get a lot of adjustment in the seating position, so it’s easy to modify it suit drivers of different statures. There’s height adjustment in the seat and the steering wheel moves for reach and rake, so again it adds to the over adjustability of the T-Cross’ seating. The view out for the driver is good to the front and sides, but those thick rear pillars can make it tricky to reverse into a parking spot. Luckily, all but the base SE model come with front and rear parking sensors to keep the T-Cross’ bumpers away from hazards.

Most T-Cross trims come with the standard analogue main instruments, and there’s nothing wrong with that. They are clear and uncluttered, and the small digital display in the middle offers the usual onboard information for you to scroll through using the steering wheel buttons. The R-Line model comes with VW’s 10.3-inch Digital Cockpit that replaces the standard dials with a screen representation of dials. It can be changed to suit your tastes and show a sat-nav screen if needed.

In the centre of the dash, VW sticks with physical twist dials for the air conditioning and ventilation. This makes it very simple to adjust the air flow and temperature on the move, unlike in some other VW models that operate the heating through the infotainment screen. All T-Cross models come with an 8.0-inch colour touchscreen for the infotainment and it uses large on-screen icons to make it easy to select the function or radio station of your choice. It’s also quick to react to inputs and easy to read on the move, making it one of the better systems in this class,

Take a seat in the back of the T-Cross and you’ll find it offers more space than most in this sector. It provides more than enough head, knee and leg room for a couple of adults to travel comfortably in here on longer trips. Fitting three adults in here is a bit of an ask as the T-Cross is quite narrow across its beam, so you might be better off with a T-Roc or Tiguan for this kind of work. However, three kids will happily while away a journey and there are three-point seat belts for all of them, or you can use the two Isofix child seat mounts on the outer seats.

Volkswagen provides a sliding rear bench in all T-Cross models, so you can move the seat back and forth to mix and match passenger space with load capacity. When the seat is set to its rear-most setting, the T-Cross offers a boot capacity of 455-litres, placing it well ahead of most of the competition. Fold the 60-40 split and tip rear seat down and you can free up a maximum of 1281-litres of space, which is very useful and the boot floor sits flush with the load floor to make it simple when heaving heavy bags in and out.

Which 2018 Volkswagen T-Cross model should you buy?

Trims for the Volkswagen T-Cross start with the SE that comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, black roof rails, adaptive cruise control, lane assist, driver fatigue alert, and blind spot monitor. Inside, there are six airbags, plus air conditioning, cloth upholstery, and an 8.0-inch colour touchscreen for the infotainment. The Black Edition improves on this with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for the infotainment system, and you also get front and rear parking sensors. The Black Edition also has rear privacy glass and black-painted door mirror caps. Move to the SE L and there’s silver roof rails, front sports seats and Hexalink cloth upholstery. In the R-Line, you have the 10.3-inch Digital Cockpit in place of the standard dash instruments, plus Carbon Flag upholstery and front sports seats. On the outside, there are 18-inch alloy wheels and unique R-Line bumpers and side skirts.

Value for money: how much does a 2018 Volkswagen T-Cross cost to buy and run?

While the 95hp 1.0-litre TSI turbo petrol engine may be the least powerful, it offers 49.6mpg combined fuel economy and 130g/km carbon dioxide emissions with its five-speed manual gearbox. Opt for the 110hp version of this engine with its six-speed manual transmission and it offers identical economy and emissions figures. Choose the automatic ’box with the 110hp motor and those figures become 45.6mpg and 141g/km. For the 1.5-litre 150hp motor, it comes with an auto transmission as standard and delivers 47.1mpg and 137g/km. This outs this engine into the 32% bracket for company car Benefit in Kind taxation, while the more efficient T-Cross models sit in the 30% band. For insurance, the T-Cross is spread between groups 8 to 17 depending on engine and trim.

Verdict: Should I buy a 2018 Volkswagen T-Cross?

The Volkswagen T-Cross is a car with many talents and very few weaknesses. For starters, it drives very smoothly and makes light work of getting about town or heading down the motorway. It’s not as much fun to drive as a Ford Puma, but the VW’s comfort and cabin versatility make it a sound choice for many.

Volkswagen doesn’t offer a hybrid or electric version of the T-Cross, and nor does it provide a diesel engine option anymore. However, the turbo petrol engines are good to use and the entry-point 95hp motor makes the most sense for the widest number of drivers, which means you don’t have to spend much to enjoy the best of the T-Cross line-up.