2 November 2018
4 Mins read

New Volkswagen T-Cross compact SUV revealed, coming early 2019

Volkswagen has added a new SUV to its growing range of offroaders with the unveiling of the new T-Cross.

Due here early 2019, the compact SUV will sit below the T-Roc in the VW range, rivalling mega sellers like the Nissan Juke and SEAT Arona.

The T-Cross borrows plenty from the Polo, notably the MQB A0 platform and its one-litre petrol engines.

But visually, the softroader boasts a considerably muscular presence, with chunky wheel arches, boxy profile and a tall bonnet – it is features like these that will make the T-Cross
one of the most imposing models in the segments.

Peek around the back and there’s a striking red LED strip along the boot lid, which isn’t dissimilar to much larger SUVs like the Range Rover Velar.

Size-wise, the T-Cross stretches for 4,107mm and stands at 1,558mm tall, which makes it 54mm longer and 97mm wider than the Polo, while ride height has been raised 100mm, compared to the small hatchback.

Practicality is expected to be decent too – at least on paper – with a 385-litre boot growing to 445 litres with rear bench slid forward, before opening up to 1,281 litres with the back seats down.

Buyers will be able to choose from one of two front-wheel-drive petrol engines: a single-litre three-cylinder turbocharged TSI unit with 94bhp or 113bhp, linked to a six-speed manual as standard or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic as an option.

Parts of the motoring press have had access to a pre-production T-Cross and were suitably impressed.

Auto Express said the baby SUV is ‘shaping up to be a real winner?’, while Autocar wrote: ‘Practicality coupled with a funky design and strong engines suggest this compact crossover could challenge at the sharp end of its segment?’.

Orders for the T-Cross are expected to open early in 2019, with prices set to begin at around £16,500.

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