Volkswagen T-Cross review

Although it’s pricier than some rivals, the T-Cross has plenty besides visual appeal to seal the deal.

The facelifted car's cabin has an entirely new dashboard design that’s intended to deliver a more materially upmarket ambience. Thanks to some more technical-looking trims, I guess it achieves that moderately well. Some more colourful choices might have brought a bit more vibrancy, but perhaps wouldn't have been so ‘Volkswagen’. Moreover, VW tried some of these in the form of optional design packs when it first introduced the car in 2019 - and if it couldn’t sell them then with the help of an advertising campaign that featured fashionista Cara Delevingne, it’s probably given up hope now. 

It’s not often you see rear seats that slide as a one-piece bench. To me, split-sliding ones would be better, so you could leave leg room for one rear passenger if needed. Then again, some extra load bay flexibility is better than none.

Matt Saunders

Road test editor

Aside from all that, there’s impressive passenger space in the car in both rows; a comfortable driving position; a back-seat bench that slides fore and aft to boost boot capacity or rear leg room as preferred; and a boot floor than you can either lower when you need to, or take out altogether when there’s one of those tallish house plants to take home from the garden centre (the Ford Puma offers something similar).

Volkswagen now fits a digital instrument pack to all trim levels as standard, but it’s a fairly small screen that only has room for either an analogue-style rev counter or speedo, but not both, a little annoyingly. Likewise, digital blob-style fuel and engine temperature gauges don’t feel much like technological progress, though they’re unlikely to put many buyers off.

There’s plenty of scope for adjustment in the driver’s seat, which is comfortable and of a good size even for the bigger of build, and there’s plenty of space for heads, limbs and feet. 

Perceived quality, meanwhile, continues to be good, rather than great. If you’re giving up a lower-end Golf for this car, there’s just a chance you might notice the shortfall, although it’s unlikely that you’d be offended by it.