Volkswagen T-Cross: carsales Car of the Year 2020 contender

The Volkswagen T-Cross is a long-awaited all-new model from the German brand that takes it into one of the SUV segments that are now increasingly favoured by Australian buyers.

Based on the Polo city car, the T-Cross is categorised as a light SUV and lines up against popular models such as the Mazda CX-3 and Hyundai Venue, and the soon-to-launch Toyota Yaris Cross.

It slots underneath the similarly new-to-Australia Volkswagen T-Roc, which is based on the Golf and marked as a small SUV. The T-Roc competes against the likes of the Mazda CX-30, Hyundai Kona and Toyota C-HR, and there is potential for cross-shopping between the two new VW models.

Some will call it SUV overload, but with the high-riding genre now accounting for almost half of all new vehicle sales in Australia, and light and small versions taking 15 per cent combined, the big car-makers are bringing to market as many new models and derivatives as they can in order to meet (and fuel) demand.

Excellent execution from Volkswagen with these two compact crossovers now sees both the T-Cross and T-Roc in contention for carsales Car of the Year 2020, proudly presented by Bingle.

Perhaps the more relevant question is: Who won’t the Volkswagen T-Cross appeal to?

We say that because this little crossover has lots of bases covered in terms of its design, packaging, tech, comfort, performance and general driving attributes.

It won’t appeal to families who need extra luggage space, won’t comfortably accommodate three adults across the back seat on long journeys, won’t attract entry buyers whose budget only stretches as far as the low-$20,000s.

There are various other SUV and traditional passenger car models in the VW range to meet these requirements, and if we judge the T-Cross against direct rivals in the light SUV class, it stacks up very well.

The Volkswagen T-Cross has launched in Australia with two trim levels – Life and Style – and a single 85TSI powertrain option which is based around an 85kW/200Nm 1.0-litre turbo-petrol three-cylinder engine.

The tiny triple drives the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch DSG automatic transmission fitted standard.

The T-Cross 85TSI Life is priced at $27,990 plus on-road costs, while the 85TSI Style starts $3K upstream at $30,990 plus ORCs.

A more powerful 110TSI variant based on the Style trim level will join the range soon with a 110kW/250Nm 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine under the bonnet.

The launch range has a healthy level of standard features to justify its relatively high starting point compared to come competitors in the segment.

Safety equipment, for example, extends to front assist with city emergency braking (low-speed AEB), pedestrian and cyclist monitoring, lane assist, driver fatigue detection, parking sensors with manoeuvre braking, a low pressure tyre indicator, automatic headlights and wipers, and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror.

The 85TSI Style adds park assist, adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert, although it’s worth noting that these are bundled into a $1200 Driver Assistance Package available on the Life variant.

Cabin tech is also well catered for across the range with an 8.0-inch touch-screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, four USB ports and wireless phone charging. If that’s not enough, a $1900 Sound and Vision package adds VW’s Virtual Cockpit digital instrument display, sat-nav and a thumping 300W Beats audio system.

Besides the extra safety features, key step-up markers for the more expensive Style include 17-inch alloy wheels (up from 16s), dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, steering-mounted paddle shifters and front sports seats.

We’ve had the chance to drive the new Volkswagen T-Cross in a variety of settings, and have come away largely impressed.

Noting just how competitive the compact SUV segment has become, carsales news editor Sam Charlwood nonetheless saw the T-Cross as a latecomer that enters the category “with typical VW levels of polish and practicality”.

“Clever design, smart finishes and first-rate safety and technology are anticipated traits, combined with a surprising level of character and engagement wrought largely by the thrummy three-cylinder engine,” he said.

In his review of the entry-level T-Cross Life, carsales senior journalist Bruce Newton similarly found it as “an impressive compact SUV”.

“The pricing is high but not outrageous, while the perceived quality of the interior is not as good as VW’s past standards. But it has Tardis-like interior space and rides and drives like a little champion,” he said.

“It deserves to be considered a serious contender in the segment.”

As such, the T-Cross similarly deserves its status as a serious contender for carsales Car of the Year 2020, proudly presented by Bingle.

Volkswagen T-Cross 85TSI Style at a glance:
Price: From $30,990
Engine: 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 85kW/200Nm
Fuel: 5.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 123g/km (ADR Combined)