2025 Volkswagen T-Cross review
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00:00This here is the updated version of the Volkswagen T-Cross.
00:03It's got a new look inside and out, it gets extra features that you never could get before
00:07in the T-Cross range.
00:09And this time around it is a little bit more expensive, but you're getting better value
00:12for money.
00:13And I'm going to tell you why it's so good compared to most of its rivals, and some alternatives
00:17you might want to consider as well.
00:18If you haven't already, like, subscribe and ring the bell, and let's take a look at the
00:21updated T-Cross, hey?
00:28Volkswagen has changed up the range when it comes to the new version of the T-Cross.
00:32It's now available in three trim grades.
00:34Previously, it was two with a bunch of options available across both of those grades, but
00:38now it's a much simpler lineup, no option boxes to tick, which is a big advantage in
00:43my mind.
00:44Now, the entry-level version, it's called the Life.
00:47It starts at $34,990 drive away, and the prices you'll see in this video are all national
00:52drive away pricing.
00:54And I think that that is a pretty decent price.
00:56It might seem a little steep, but they've added heaps of spec to that car, the entry-level
01:01grade.
01:02Things like LED lights on the outside.
01:03You also get LED daytime running lights.
01:05There's 16-inch alloy wheels.
01:07And on the inside, you're getting a digital instrument cluster.
01:10There's also an eight-inch touchscreen media system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
01:14Shame about that car, though.
01:16You still have to turn the key in the ignition, which might not be ideal for everyone, especially
01:20if you're a parent and you've had a car with a keyless entry and push-button start.
01:24It's hard to go back.
01:25I understand that.
01:26If you need keyless entry and push-button start, and you want a few extra features,
01:30then this one might be the go.
01:31It's the style, and it costs five grand more, but you're getting bigger wheels, you're getting
01:36better headlights.
01:37They're, in fact, LED matrix headlights, so they're really, really good at nighttime,
01:42and you get a different look to the car as well.
01:44On the inside, you're getting a much more upmarket-looking and feeling interior finish,
01:49but also you're getting a bigger digital instrument cluster for the driver, and you're getting
01:53other features like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as sat-nav, so if
01:58you're one of those people who still likes to use the old navigation system, the style
02:01grade might be worth your money.
02:03And at the top of the range is the R-Line version, which previously was a package available,
02:08but now is a standalone model, and it adds a few extra features other than just a sportier
02:14look on the outside, bigger wheels, and sportier interior trim as well.
02:19It also gets a Beats sound system, and a few other things that you might really like, and
02:23look, I think that personally, this mid-spec model is the sweet spot in the range, if you
02:28can justify the cost, but what about some alternatives that you might want to consider?
02:35Okay, when it comes to alternatives to the Volkswagen T-Cross, there's a rival from within
02:40the same sort of household as this car that you might want to consider.
02:44It's the Skoda Kamiq, and it comes with two different versions available, the entry-level
02:48select which has the same powertrain as this car, but also a higher-spec Sportline model,
02:54which might make more sense to you if you are considering the most expensive version
02:58of the T-Cross.
02:59That Sportline grade has a bigger engine with much more power and torque, and it is a really
03:04lovable vehicle, but hey, I think that both of those could be a really good alternative
03:08to this, depending on what your budget is and what you're looking for.
03:12Another car you might want to consider if you're looking for maybe something just a
03:14little bit bigger on the outside and on the inside is the Hyundai Kona.
03:19Now, it does have an extensive model range, starts from around $32,000 before on-road
03:24costs, and you can get it with a hybrid powertrain, and that might be the best thing about it,
03:30that you can get an affordable hybrid version of the Kona and still get plenty of spec,
03:35and in fact, you can get quite a decent spec of Kona hybrid for about the same money as
03:39a top-spec version of the T-Cross.
03:42So it would be one that I would recommend you go and check out if you're thinking that
03:45maybe this might be just a smidge too small for your liking.
03:48And finally, I reckon you should also go and check out the Nissan Juke.
03:51I know it's probably not the best small SUV on the market, but it is a very smart small
03:55SUV.
03:56It's compact on the outside, it offers plenty of space and practicality on the inside, a
04:00big boot, and also, while the drive experience might not be perfect, it does have a bit of
04:05fun factor to it as well.
04:07Tell me what you think, would you choose any of those?
04:08You'll find links in the description below for the reviews that I've done on each of
04:12them.
04:13I'd love to hear from you.
04:16The T-Cross is still one of the smallest SUVs that you can buy.
04:20Just over 4.1 metres in length, it's the same size as it was before, essentially, but it
04:25does have a bit more of a substantial look to it, thanks to this redesigned front end.
04:31This one here is the style grade, it's the one I've been spending most of my time in.
04:34You can tell it by the fact that it's got a slightly different bumper, and also different
04:38wheels.
04:39These are 17-inch alloy wheels.
04:40The base model gets 16s, and now there's also a redesigned rear too, so full LED lighting
04:47at the back of all grades, which does make a bit of a difference to the design.
04:52Different rear bumper as well, nice minimalist badging, and let me show you in the boot,
04:57and this is a clever boot.
04:58So you can see for yourself, that is going to be a usable enough space for a couple,
05:04If you've got a family, you might want to do this, which is lower down the boot floor,
05:09and you'll be able to fit heaps more stuff in there, and yes, you did see there is a
05:15space saver spare wheel underneath the boot floor as well, and I'm just going to show
05:18you one other thing with the boot, because if you are someone who needs a little car
05:23but likes to go to IKEA, you need to see this.
05:26So I've put that floor back into its highest position, you can see that you've got a load
05:29through space that is very, very amenable to longer items, and yes, those seats also
05:35slide, and I'm going to show you that in a sec, but in the back, you still also get
05:40shopping bag hooks on the side, and you've got a couple of cargo point tie downs as well,
05:45so it's a very practical space, and another thing I love about it, just a little clever
05:50feature, if you do need to access underneath there, yes, the false floor will stay where
05:57it's supposed to stay.
05:59I already thought that the existing version of the T-Cross had a lovely interior, but
06:04this one, well, it's stepped things up a bit.
06:07It's one of the best interiors in this segment in my opinion, because everything is logically
06:12positioned, thoughtfully placed, and well considered in terms of the design, and also
06:17there are some new design flourishes, so you'll notice if you've seen other older T-Cross
06:22reviews that now the screen sits a little bit further up, you've still got knobs and
06:26dials.
06:27Thank goodness for that, and there is still haptic buttons on the side, so that still
06:32might take some getting used to.
06:34Yes, this version also comes with sat-nav as well, but look, I've just got wireless
06:39Apple CarPlay and Android Auto operating, well, but I've just got wireless Apple CarPlay
06:45operating here, and it's been faultless during my time in this car.
06:49I just bloody love that there's still knobs, and it's not that haptic touch-screeny thing
06:54that is in some other models.
06:56Now, you're also getting a couple of buttons down below here as well, so you've got air
07:00conditioning with a slider, which is a bit of a strange one, but you do get used to it
07:05pretty quick.
07:06Dual zone climate control in this grade, and yes, it is a pretty nice, easy-to-use display
07:13as well, although as you can probably see, it does show up fingerprints very, very quickly.
07:19I've only been in this car for a couple of hours and it's filthy, and it makes me think
07:23yuck, what's on my hands?
07:26Anyway, yes, there's also auto parking assistance, which is good to see, and you've got your
07:32parking sensor button there too, and your stop-start button, if that matters to you.
07:36Now, this grade also has wireless phone charging, and there are a couple of USB-C ports down
07:41there.
07:42The gear shifter is one of the traditional stick shifters rather than one of the little
07:46tiny ones that you've seen in some other new models from this group, and there are cup
07:50holders down here.
07:51They are a little bit small, and also maybe a little bit oddly shaped, as you can see
07:56for yourself.
07:57In here, you'll find, in under this covered centre console bin, it's quite small, but
08:05it's big enough for something, and you'll also find there are massive door pockets as
08:11well, but they're not lined like some other cars in the Volkswagen group, and that's a
08:16bit of a shame, I reckon, but otherwise, the treatment in here, the design, the finishes,
08:21all very impressive.
08:22I'll just touch on the driver info screen as well.
08:26You can see for yourself that there are a few different views and stuff that you can
08:29go through if you wish, and look, I think that that is just nice to have some configurability
08:37to the display if you want to change things to be whatever you want them to be.
08:41Not everything will go on there, obviously, you can't stream a video or anything on there,
08:45but hey, at least you've got digital instrumentation.
08:48Nice leather-lined steering wheel in all grades with reach and rake adjustment, which
08:52seems to be something that some small SUVs don't value, and I do think that everything
08:58logical, I do think that everything is logically paced, and thankfully, no haptic buttons on
09:03the steering wheel as well, actual physical touch control buttons.
09:07Look, nice interior, right?
09:10But the real party trick is in the back seat.
09:12Let's take a look.
09:13Okay, this is a tiny, tiny, tiny SUV.
09:16This seat is set for my driving position, I'm 182 centimetres or six foot, and I have
09:21heaps of room here.
09:23This is one of the most practical compact SUVs on the market, if not the most practical,
09:28and it has another little trick up its sleeve.
09:31I'll show you that in a sec, but let me just show you how much headroom I've also got.
09:35Lots, and someone 6'3", 6'4", will be able to fit in the back here pretty comfortably
09:39as well.
09:40You can fit three adults across the back as well if you really need to, however, just
09:44keep in mind that there is a transmission tunnel intrusion that will get in the way
09:50if you've got big footers in there.
09:52There's USB-C ports down there, and the ultimate disappointment for me in this car is that
09:57there are no rear directional air vents.
09:59I think that's a bit of a miss, especially if you have kids.
10:02You will know that having a bit of ventilation in the back is an important thing, but hey,
10:07maybe you could just get a USB-C powered fan and hook it up here or something like that.
10:12Now, there are ISOFIX points in the window seats, which is great to see.
10:16Three top tether points as well, but you don't get an armrest or foot down cup holders or
10:20anything like that, so it's maybe not as practical in that respect.
10:25And you do get big bottle holders, so maybe you can put your drink in there, just make
10:29sure it's not an open can, it's a bottle or something.
10:32But honestly, the real big party trick with this car is about to happen.
10:35So you can slide this entire seat forward, and that means that if you need more boot
10:41space, then you can have more boot space.
10:44Like you get an extra few litres, well, an extra many litres, you get an extra few centimetres
10:52of space behind the seat to store bigger items.
10:56So if you've got suitcases and you're running to the airport or something like that, or
10:59you're going on a holiday, hey, that will make a difference.
11:01And if you don't need necessarily to have this much leg room, that is a really great
11:07little handy party trick for this vehicle.
11:10I reckon it's brilliant.
11:11I really like the interior of this car, I really like the finishing, I like the design.
11:15I think it's one of the best you can get if you're looking for a compact, practical SUV.
11:23There's only one powertrain available in the T-Cross line-up.
11:26It's called the 85 TSI.
11:28It's a one-litre, three-cylinder turbo petrol engine.
11:31As you might have guessed, 85 kilowatts, but 200 newton-metres of torque.
11:34So it is a pretty zesty little number, pretty zippy to drive as well.
11:38It comes with a seven-speed DSG, or dual-clutch automatic transmission, and it's front-wheel
11:43drive only.
11:44Now, if you are after a bit more punch, as I said, the Skoda Kamiq might be a really
11:49good choice for you, especially if you're considering the R-Line version of this.
11:52But all versions of the T-Cross come with towing capacity, which some other small SUVs
11:56don't boast.
11:57So, you'll see the numbers on your screen now for the unbraked and braked towing capacity
12:00for this vehicle.
12:01Yeah, practical, right?
12:02Let's go for a drive.
12:05Look, a lot has changed when it comes to this new version of the T-Cross, but the drive
12:13experience largely hasn't changed at all.
12:16And that is no bad thing, because it's still a really likeable and liveable city SUV, and
12:22I think it's one of the best little SUVs in terms of the way that it feels on the road.
12:27It's got this real solidity to it, this real chunky square feeling on the road, which some
12:33of the other rivals out there don't necessarily possess.
12:37And that has a lot to do with the fact that this is a relatively short car with a long
12:41wheelbase, which makes it feel pretty planted on the road surface.
12:46It's also got the European feeling suspension tune, so look, it doesn't feel like other
12:53cheaper SUVs, that's for sure.
12:55It is a really competent and comfortable thing.
12:59Sure, with a slightly sharper edge ride to it, and I'm in the style grade, the mid-spec
13:04model with 17-inch wheels and slightly lower profile tyres than the base grade, but it
13:09still rides over lumps and bumps really quite well.
13:13And yes, if you do hit a really sharp edge at higher speed, you will notice that, obviously.
13:19But for the most part, the city ride, the urban driving like I'm doing right now, is
13:23really, really good.
13:25So this car has the 1.0-litre turbo three-cylinder petrol engine, and it does have start-stop
13:31technology and it's got a dual-clutch automatic transmission.
13:34And if you're not used to driving a car like this, if you've never driven this sort of
13:38combination before, you might be surprised when it comes to taking away from a standstill
13:42like I am now, it can just be a little bit of a lurch and then laggy, or laggy then lurchy
13:48sort of experience.
13:50And look, that's not uncommon, but it is more refined in this car than it is in something
13:56like a Haval Jolion, which also has a small turbo engine with a dual-clutch automatic
14:02transmission.
14:03This is more refined and it makes it easier to live with on a daily basis when you are
14:07doing a lot of the stop-start stuff.
14:10Part of that comes down to the fact that it's got this really good amount of urge from the
14:15engine.
14:16It's got 200Nm, which is more than most of, if not all, of the rivals out there apart
14:20from the Kamiq, of course.
14:22But look, it does have a really nice character to the engine as well.
14:28It's thrusty, it's got a really good push to it, and you never feel like you're really
14:33running out of puff or anything like that.
14:35And I love this engine, I love this transmission, I love the fact that the 7-speed dual-clutch
14:40is really snappy with the way that it shifts gears, whether it's low-speed or high-speed.
14:46And in the higher-grade versions, there's also drive modes so you can adjust things
14:50to be a little bit more assertive or a little bit more sporty if that's what you want.
14:55There's also paddle shifters with this car, so if you do want to flick the stick over
14:58and then you can use the paddles to downshift and upshift as you wish, and it's very obedient
15:04for the most part.
15:06And look, I don't think that it's necessarily a performance sort of SUV that you need to
15:11do that, but hey, it's nice to have the option if you want it.
15:14Otherwise, you can also just use the stick down here to shift up and down by toggling
15:19up and down as you wish.
15:20For me, this is just a more fun experience than lots of the other small SUVs out there.
15:27It's predictable, it's comfortable, it's agile, and it's got that thrusty three-cylinder engine.
15:33So yeah, I think if you are considering a little SUV, it could be the right car for
15:38you.
15:39And look, it's also fun in corners.
15:41We've just driven up and down Mount Glorious outside of Brisbane on this launch event for
15:46this car, and yeah, it can hang on pretty well in the bends, and it's actually a lot
15:51of fun to steer if you are into going for a Sunday drive.
15:55But what about on the daily?
15:57Let's talk about fuel consumption, because there's some things you need to know.
16:03On your screen, you'll see the official combined cycle fuel consumption figure for the T-Cross
16:06range.
16:07They all have the same engine and transmission, and despite the fact that they have different
16:11sized wheels and tyres, the number is the same across the entire line-up.
16:15And that is a pretty decent figure, and let me tell you, from experience, if you are doing
16:19highway driving primarily, like 100km an hour, 110km an hour, just cruising, you'll see below
16:265 litres per 100km.
16:28Now, on this test drive outside of Brisbane, I haven't necessarily seen that low a number.
16:34You'll see on screen the figure that I saw displayed on my screen here, and look, I think
16:40that that is entirely respectable, considering the fact that we were doing stop-start traffic
16:45in peak hour, driving in the morning out of Brisbane, and also a bit of spirited stuff
16:52in the hills too.
16:53So, yeah, what do you think?
16:55I think it's pretty good.
16:56But, you also need to know this, it requires 95rpm premium unleaded petrol, so it's going
17:01to cost you a little bit more to fill up each time, and I'll put the fuel tank capacity
17:04on your screen now, so you can figure out your own theoretical range.
17:08Yeah, not too bad, I don't think.
17:13The T-Cross has the maximum 5-star ANCAP safety rating from 2019, and at that time, it was
17:18missing a few items when it came to standard safety specification, but now, everything
17:24has been thrown at the T-Cross, because apparently, everyone wants everything these days.
17:28So, you've got autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, there's
17:32adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, so that means that it will brake and accelerate,
17:37as well as do some steering for you in different situations, there's also blind spot monitoring
17:41and rear cross traffic alert, and although this is a very small car, you do get front
17:46and rear parking sensors, and a reversing camera, but no model comes with a surround
17:50view camera.
17:51There's also a revised driver fatigue monitoring system, so it doesn't have a camera or anything,
17:55so it's not annoying, it does just keep an eye on your steering inputs, and also the
17:59lane keeping guidance, if it's pushing you around too much, it'll say, hey, you need
18:03to take a break.
18:04Now, when it comes to airbags, there are six, dual front, front side, and full length, go
18:07ahead and coverage.
18:11Volkswagen Australia offers a five year unlimited kilometre warranty for its model range, including
18:16the T-Cross, and there's also a couple of things you need to know when it comes to the
18:20servicing.
18:21So, you can either pay as you go with a cap price service plan, and if you want to do
18:25that, totally fine, but if you think smart, you might want to go and get one of the prepaid
18:30service plans.
18:31There's a five year plan, or a three year plan, depending on what you're after, and
18:36that will actually roll onto the next owner, so if you decide you want to sell it, they'll
18:39be able to buy it with services already paid for, essentially, and it does work out to
18:45be more affordable to prepay your servicing, you can roll it into your finance payments
18:49as well, and in fact, Volkswagen has this thing where it can actually guarantee the
18:53future value of your vehicle if you finance through the brand, so that might be worth
18:57investigating as well, and there's also roadside assistance if you service with the brand
19:02too.
19:03Good one.
19:06For me, this is one of the most impressive little SUVs on the market.
19:09I would have one in a heartbeat if I was looking for a small SUV.
19:13The style grade just seems to stack up really beautifully in terms of what you're getting,
19:17and the fact that it feels a bit special for the money as well.
19:19Tell me what you think about it in the comments section below.
19:21Would you choose this, or would you go for a different type of T-Cross, or a different
19:25car altogether?
19:26I'd love to hear from you.
19:27If you haven't already, like, subscribe, and ring the bell.
19:28Thank you so much.
19:29I'll see you in the next one.