Volkswagen T-Cross review

It’s yet another way for Volkswagen to capitalise on perennially increasing demand for small crossover SUVs: it’s the facelifted T-Cross.

Yep, having first gone on sale back in 2019 the T-Cross – which is essentially a taller, beefier-looking Polo – has finally been given a mid-life update, although you’ve a better set of eyes than us if you can spot all of the visual differences.  

VW tells us there are new bumpers front and rear which add 21mm to the T-Cross’s overall length and are apparently designed to make it look a little like its much bigger, much older brother, the Touareg. Hmm.

At least it looks different to the Polo…

Credit where credit’s due, it does look a bit different to the hatch upon which it is based. The T-Cross rides on the same MQB platform, uses mostly the same engines and is built in the same Spanish factory as the Polo, but is ever so slightly longer and taller. You sit 100mm higher up. Bit more practical than a Polo too, thanks to increased overall length and a sliding rear bench seat.

And there’s no ‘Russian doll’ design here: VW has learnt from past attempts at SUV-ifying its hatchbacks (remember the Polo Dune? Anyone?), and instead of simply bolting on some black plastic cladding and a set of stainless-steel skid plates, it’s given the T-Cross a look (mostly) all its own. A look that reminds us mainly of a Nineties Seat Ibiza.

The facelift has brought with it new front and rear lights too, plus new silver underbody protection and some more bright exterior colours (including the ‘Rubber Ducky Yellow’ shade that was named by VW’s social media followers). But this is a car that majors on style more than anything else, and there’s no denying that it’s a little bit bland to look at. 

Have people been buying the T-Cross?

VW says that its smallest SUV – which was previewed by the drop-top T-Cross Breeze Concept at 2016’s Geneva Motor Show – has been a success since its launch with 1.2 million units sold worldwide.

Not bad, but in the UK it shifted just 10,370 examples in 2023. That compares to 29,984 Vauxhall Mokkas, 31,745 Nissan Jukes and 49,591 Ford Pumas. The small crossover market is booming.

Are there any more direct rivals?

There certainly are. Aside from the three big-sellers listed above, you’ll also be comparing the T-Cross with cars like the Toyota Yaris Cross, Lexus LBX, Peugeot 2008, Hyundai Bayon, Kia Stonic and the related Seat Arona and Skoda Kamiq. 

How much does it cost?

When the T-Cross first arrived back in 2019, prices started at just under £17k, rising to over £23k for a limited-run ‘First Edition’ model. Post-facelift and post-Covid, you’re now looking at a £23,975 entry price for the base-spec ‘Life’ trim and a hefty £28,565 for the top-spec R-Line that you see here. And that’s before you start upgrading to automatic gearboxes and from three to four cylinders…

Polos start at £21k at the time of writing, so ‘upgrading’ to a T-Cross is hardly cheap. Worth it?

Fair play to VW for switching up its mini crossover. It would have been oh so easy to lift and lightly re-skin a Polo, but there is a bit more to the T-Cross than that. It adds a good amount more space for people and things and looks totally different to the hatch on which it’s based.

Yes, it’s a fair bit more expensive and not quite as refined, but the T-Cross could be a rare thing: a little crossover that actually offers enough over the hatch equivalent to justify its higher price tag. Or at least be worth thinking about.

It's a shame that it’s not the most exciting thing to look at – particularly if you shun the free yellow paint and spend £675 on metallic grey or silver – and it’s not as fun to drive as something like the Ford Puma. The T-Cross isn’t a bad car by any means and you could do much worse. But you could do a lot better too.