Volkswagen T-Cross

The interior of the car is one of the key USPs of the vehicle. The interior design is better and brighter than most of the other competitors and features a youthful design overall. Volkswagen very neatly places the standard analog gauges on the instrument cluster making it look elegant. The infotainment system is large, centrally placed, and is definitely a noticeable feature in the cabin, and also working as the reverse camera and air control. 

A large colored trim extends from the dash to the panels on the doors right onto the center console. You get multiple color options for this trim along with more durable plastics. The seats are cladded with white leather in the front and a gray textured design, in the rest of the car. The design is modern, with ample storage space of 392 litres that can increase to 1,319 litres with the rear seats folded. The rear also gets a sunroof. 

The first thing to strike anyone looking at the T-Cross is the unique styling that makes it stand out in the subcompact SUV segment in the Philippines. Even though the car features the same design language as the other offerings from Volkswagen, it does look incredibly attractive with some careful tweaks in the exterior design. 

The front fascia features a large angled grille, flanked by rectangular headlights on either side. The silver accent on the lower bumper around the foglights offers a unique appearance. It perfectly complements the faux skid plate that renders the chiseled SUV-like look to the car. Lighting is complete with all you need from LED daytime running lights, to LED headlamps, as well as halogen fog lights. 

The T-Cross features clean and smooth lines with silver roof rails and a very subtle design approach with nothing very fancy. The more rounded rear end is finished off by a large black accent right from the LED tail lamps. The LED tail lamps also have a unique design that makes the vehicle stand out in the crossover segment. 

The car rides on MacPherson strut suspension at the front and a torsion beam set up at the rear making for a really comfortable and stable ride. The suspension does pretty well to absorb most bumps and road imperfections supported by a long wheelbase. The steering response is light, and communicative, offering great control and ease of maneuvering. In terms of overall handling, the Volkswagen T-Cross is a typical crossover. 

The car rides on the MQBA0 platform of Volkswagen.  Under the hood, there is a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that makes 111 hp of power and 145 Nm of peak torque. The car gets a 6-speed automatic transmission that feels more like a CVT and has a front-whee-drive system. The power delivery and throttle response could have been better. The transmission is smooth with minimal engine noise to even upto 100 km/h and impressive fuel efficiency figures of 11 km/L in the city and over 18 km/L on the highway. 

Volkswagen has definitely put in a lot of safety features. It comes with dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, and a range of other safety features like front side airbags, head curtain airbags, a rearview camera, and ISOFIX tethers at the rear. The automatic braking feature is really convenient and useful and it is also adjustable in terms of its sensitivity. 

The Volkswagen T-Cross is definitely one of the most affordable cars from the manufacturers and brings the finest example of German engineering and designing. It is available in two variants with quite a few colour options and apart from the slightly dull driving experience, the car is totally worth buying, especially if you need comfortable and economical city rides.