Review: Volkswagen T-Cross Life 1.0 TSI (2024)

As tested: €31,035

The small crossover market has been a hot segment for almost a decade now. Volkswagen was late launching into this market with a fully fleshed out model, instead selling a jacked-up version of their Polo compact hatchback named the Polo Cross. But with the launch of the T-Cross in 2018 and a subsequent refresh in 2023 has Volkswagen been able to bring their renowned feeling of solidity and comfort to the class?

The Looks 

The T-Cross does well to hide its Polo underpinnings, giving a boxy upright appearance that is a refreshing look in a world of swooping curvy crossovers. I’m not totally sold on the rear lights, suffering from what I have christened, “not quite a light bar-itis”. This facelift car still looks fresh, although park this next to a new Golf or Tiguan and it becomes clear that T-Cross is a generation behind. I don’t think the way that this test car is specified does any favors for the design. A darker colour suits the T-Cross much better than this “Pure White” and the “Nottingham” wheels are a real let down, with higher trim levels getting access to much better wheels. In the right trim, the T-Cross is a handsome little crossover, beating out a lot of its rivals in the looks department such as the Renault Captur and/or Suzuki Vitara. Its biggest rivals are its V.A.G stablemates, the Seat Arona and Skoda Kamiq, both offering similar sharp upright styling. 

The Interior 

Overall, Volkswagen continues to do what it does best, giving a premium feel to a mainstream car, although there is holes to be poked. Firstly, the positives. The steering wheel is easily the highest quality of anything in this class, with part-metal buttons and a real softness to the leather. It’s stolen from nicer cars in the Volkswagen range and certainly feels a class or two above its rivals. The infotainment system is a breeze with a clear layout, good colour range and deep blacks. The digital gauge cluster shares these traits, with my only criticism being a lack of configurability. Not being able to have both the Tachometer and Speedometer dials show together is a weird omission. My main complaint of the T-Cross’s interior is its fiddly climate controls, particularly the tiny button they give you to change the direction of the air. You must look down to press, and being so small, if you hit a bump in the road, you can just miss pressing it entirely. The climate controls can be changed in the infotainment system but it’s not much better in terms of user interface. My other concern is the black carbon effect plastic trim piece that runs along the dashboard. For being such a prominent piece of the interior, it is cheap and nasty feeling. It also creaks when touched or pressed, a surprising let down especially considering the brand. 

The Drive 

 

The T-Cross uses a 1.0 TSI 3-cylinder making 95hp paired to a 5-speed manual. It’s a pleasant experience, offering smooth and comfortable driving. Motorway driving can have you wishing for a 6th gear but overall, it’s a pleasure to use. The ride is softer than in its V.A.G counterparts and really helps sell the premium feel. It isn’t fun or agile, a Seat Arona or Ford Puma offer a more engaging drive but for commuting the T-Cross smooths out bumps or road imperfections well. There isn’t much more to say about the drive, it is a classic Volkswagen in that sense, safe, smart and predictable. 

 When talking about value for money the T-Cross does begin to come undone. The T-Cross starts at €28,890 but for that you are basically getting 4 seats and a steering wheel, it doesn’t even come with roof racks. The cheapest new T-Cross people will actually buy, the “Life” starts at €31,235 as of the time I am writing this review. A new T-Roc “Life”, which is a class up from the T-Cross, is more powerful, and has a nicer interior is only €3,695 more. I have driven the T-Roc and I think for that price bump you are getting a lot more car for the money. But if you are dead set on getting a small compact crossover, refuse to buy a hatchback and don’t need the extra space, the T-Cross does offer a lot of positives in all aspects of its design, and I would be happy to have one on my driveway.