Volkswagen T-Cross review

VW has dropped the 1.6-litre diesel engine from the T-Cross line-up in the UK, so it’s petrol only and with no fancy hybrid options. The 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine is something of a known quantity, having been used in both bigger and smaller VWG products for some years.

Is that engine any good?

It’s not bad, but also not at its very best in the T-Cross. In its most-powerful 113bhp form it’s punchy enough (just - could use a bit more push lower in the rev range), but drive it for economy - by changing up early and using the low-down torque - and it sounds laboured. Use the revs and it gets quite noisy. By the standards of the class, it’s ok: a good performer for sure, but not quite as refined as it is in other VWs, and as it ought to be here.

The 113bhp version has either a six-speed manual or seven-speed double-clutch auto. The former is fine, whereas the latter is from the “shift up early and stay there at all costs” school of automatic gearboxes. At least the shifts themselves are smooth, and should you want to seize control yourself it responds swiftly to a pair of dinky paddles on the wheel.

The entry-level 94bhp option (only available with Life or Match trims) has a five-speed manual. You should probably stay away from that one anyway: its 0-62mph time of 11.2 seconds is more than a second slower than the 113bhp car’s time when the latter is paired with its manual gearbox option. Simply too slow.

What if I want more than 113bhp?

VW also introduced a more powerful 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder into the T-Cross line-up back in 2020, and you can still spec that after the facelift. But despite our reservations about the refinement of the three-cylinder, we’d still advise going for the smaller engine.

The four-pot makes 148bhp and 184lb ft of torque and quotes 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds, but its extra grunt is stifled by the standard-fit seven-speed DSG, which once again hunts for high gears in the search for better economy. Put your foot down and there’s a decent delay before the ‘box sorts itself out and you get any real acceleration. You’d be better off with the three-cylinder and a manual. Oh, and you won’t be able to get into the 1.5 for less than £30,000. Ouch.

Is the T-Cross comfortable? 

Good driving position: it manages to feel suitably elevated, without making you feel as though you’re perched on a lanky, wobbly object. On the move the tallness manifests itself with a little bit of body-roll and plain steering that serves up no encouragement to corner quickly. No matter. Its owners won’t want to. For the most part bends are handled ably, with no fuss from the mostly surefooted chassis.

The ride is on the firm side of things, but it’s never annoying or uncomfortable. It might be better on smaller wheels, but for the most part the T-Cross skips over bumps very well for a car of this size and type. That’s probably because it’s light – between 1.2 and 1.4 tonnes depending on spec – and that helps with braking feel and performance too.

The decently judged suspension and soft seats are good news for long-distance cruising, although the trade-off for a bit of firmness is slightly more road- and wind-noise (especially from around the large wing mirrors) than you’d expect. The steering could also do with a bit more heft around the straight-ahead, to make it more stable on the motorway.