Volkswagen T-Cross review: Tiny crossover with old-school charm

In a world of electric this and digital that, it can be refreshing to come across something that reminds you of the analogue era, where you might have to actually do things yourself rather than get a computer to do it for you.

The Volkswagen T-Cross does give off a bit of that old-school vibe while still having enough modern niceties to make it relevant in today's age.

What's new on the T-Cross?

As you can tell from the opening paragraph, the T-Cross is not exactly a new model, having been on sale here since 2019. The car has been given a very mild facelift to keep it updated, but in many ways it certainly feels its age.

The changes are very minor, to say the least. There are new bumpers front and rear, which add a bit of length to the car. The lights are new as well, and look pretty fancy when they are illuminated at night. But other than that, the T-Cross looks pretty much the same as before.

Inside, the T-Cross has a redesigned dashboard, with new touch-sensitive controls for the climate control system, as well as a new eight-inch infotainment screen.

They're subtle revisions, but Volkswagen has also opted to use higher-quality materials for the interior, which does elevate the cabin's ambience somewhat.

Is that it?

Pretty much, but you'll soon realise that much of the appeal of the T-Cross is that it doesn't feel too caught up in the modern-day tech race, where everything is electric and controlled via a large screen.

Purists might be delighted to find a traditional gear selector stick, along with a *gasp* manual handbrake lever, things that were common in cars 20 years ago but are increasingly rare now.

Even the attempt at digitalisation, in the form of the infotainment screen, feels like a throwback. The eight-inch touchscreen is small by today's standards, with many newer cars boasting huge screens that can rival those on laptops.

But size doesn't really matter in this case, because ultimately the T-Cross offers an intuitive and user-friendly experience with an infotainment system that's easy to use and navigate.

It also comes with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, as well as a pretty cool Beats audio system, which is all you need really for in-car entertainment.

The rest of the car is as simple as it gets. There's a decent amount of space at the back for two adults, perhaps three at a squeeze, and not much else.

The boot offers a handy 385 litres' worth of carrying capacity, which is not the largest, but there's a neat trick where you can push the rear seats forward and enlarge the boot space to 455 litres.

How does it drive then?

Again, the T-Cross doesn't boast anything fancy under the bonnet. The car is powered by a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine that produces 114hp and 200Nm of torque. Fast, the T-Cross certainly is not, with 0-100km/h coming in a leisurely 10.3 seconds.

Because there isn't much power, you do have to push it quite a bit to make meaningful progress. But that also means that it is eager to rev to the redline, giving it an excitable and peppy demeanour that is reminiscent of some low-powered small cars from the 1990s.

Ultimately though, the T-Cross is still an SUV, and while it handles with a good amount of liveliness and agility thanks to its compact size, the overall sensation is one of stability and surefootedness, without coming across as too enthusiastic.

Similarly, the ride quality can mostly be described as competent. It is a bit firm, and the car can get unsettled if you go over a large bump quickly, but in most circumstances the T-Cross copes well enough to offer a comfortable driving experience.

Should I buy one?

That really depends. For those who feel that today's modern cars, with their barrage of digital information and tech features, are overwhelming, the T-Cross offers a throwback of sorts with its simplistic setup and lack of frills.

At the same time, it doesn't feel too antiquated, with just enough modern features to make life that little bit more pleasant.

It's not perfect of course, but in many ways the T-Cross feels like a nice bridge between new age and old school, and sometimes just keeping things simple is good enough for some people.

ALSO READ: Volkswagen ID.4 GTX review: More power but at a price

benjamin.chia@asiaone.com

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