Volkswagen T-Cross 2020 Review – International

Volkswagen's SUV line-up is going to get a whole lot more confusing next year when not one but two all-new small SUVs land in the line-up.

First to arrive in March 2020 will be the Volkswagen T-Roc – a compact SUV based on the best-selling Golf that will sit below the Tiguan.

A few months later the T-Roc will be joined by the Volkswagen T-Cross – the smallest, cheapest entry into VW SUV ownership.

Sounds reasonable enough except in the metal, to the naked eye, both the T-Cross and T-Roc look suspiciously close in dimensions.

For good reason the 'bigger' T-Roc is actually 1mm shorter than the cheaper 'smaller' T-Cross, which stands 11mm taller but 37mm narrower, even if few will notice.

Volkswagen has been careful to position its two new small SUVs differently to prevent them fighting for the same customers.

It explains why the T-Cross is front-wheel drive and will, initially at least, only come with a modest 85kW 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine.

While the T-Roc is claimed to have been built for the more fashion conscious, the T-Cross is expected to appeal to young families, those who need more space and those who simply just want an affordable SUV.

Created to go head-to-head with the well-established Mazda CX-3 and Hyundai Kona, the Volkswagen T-Cross certainly has its work cut out, but the world's biggest car-maker rarely misses the target with its new models and the T-Cross is no exception.

The big news for our market is Volkswagen Australia will bring in just one T-Cross – a high-grade model that is well-equipped and comes with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto as standard.

With pricing still to be announced, the local importer has already promised the T-Cross range will kick off from "under $30,000" with a price tag of around $27,000 likely – $4000 more than the Polo on which it's based, but on par with its rivals.

Placing the driver 100mm higher than the small VW hatch, the T-Cross is more than a jacked-up Polo. The little T-Cross boasts a wheelbase that's been stretched by 54mm, hinting at big engineering changes beneath the skin.

The increase in wheelbase results in more passenger space inside, with the T-Cross capable of carrying four six-foot adults in comfort, with decent headroom in the rear to boot.

As well as offering near class-leading space, the T-Cross also pinches its sliding second bench from the larger, more expensive Tiguan.

OK, the 60:40-split seats don't quite fold flat-into-the-floor like they do in a Honda HR-V, but owners will be able to slide the rear bench fore and aft up to 100mm to maximise either legroom or boot space (385-455-litres).

There's also a storage bin beneath the passenger seat that makes up for the tiny glovebox, four USB ports (two for the second row) plus a pair of air-vents in the rear.

In other words, the T-Cross ticks all the boxes for practicality.

Inside, it looks the part too, with our cars expected to come with VW's version of Audi's virtual cockpit and an 8.0-inch infotainment system that works with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

We won't blame you if you begin to start questioning why it's worth spending about $10K more for the T-Roc.

It's only after a fingertip search that you begin to detect more than a sniff of cost-cutting. While looking the part, the plastics used don't feel anywhere near the quality of those in other Volkswagens like the bigger Golf.

Behind the wheel, as we've mentioned, until the punchier 110kW 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine arrives, the only engine offered in Australia will be the tiny 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder that generates 85kW.

That doesn't sound much, but it's accompanied by a healthy 200Nm torque peak from 2000rpm. That means the T-Cross doesn’t feel as breathless as you'd expect and the little SUV takes a reasonable 9.9 seconds to reach 100km/h from rest.

Fuel consumption, meanwhile, is claimed to be identical to the Polo, with the small SUV able to average just 4.9L/100km.

Interestingly, behind the wheel, we think most would prefer the T-Cross to its hatchback sibling mainly because of the small SUV's cossetting ride and quiet and refined way of doing things.

Sure, the little three-cylinder can become a little vocal at times – but most won't mind as it's an eager little unit.

Occasionally, you'll wish for a smoother auto than VW's seven-speed dual-clutch transmission – around town at low urban speeds it can become a little jerky, but there's no arguing with its efficiency.

What is missing, perhaps, is the final level of engagement and agility the very best in its SUV class offers (we're looking at you, Mazda CX-3), but after another spell behind the wheel, it's apparent the cleverest thing Volkswagen did when developing the T-Cross was to keep it simple.

The Volkswagen T-Cross doesn't need wild styling, a funky cabin, mind-numbing levels of personalisation or even expensive-feeling soft-touch plastics for its talents to shine through.

Volkswagen's smallest SUV is spacious, comfortable and practical and it’s all the car most will ever need. Only final pricing and specifications stand in the way of it stealing a march on the competition.

The T-Cross might be late to the small SUV party, but it's been well-worth waiting for.

How much does the 2020 Volkswagen T-Cross cost?
Price: From $27,000 (estimated)
On sale: May 2019
Engine: 1.0-litre turbo-petrol three-cylinder
Output: 85kW/200Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 4.9L/100km
CO2: 112g/km
Safety rating: N/A