Photo: Volkswagen
Ah, the T-Cross! Even though it wasn’t developed with Europe in mind, Volkswagen decided to sell this thing in the Old Continent in order to capitalize on the crossover craze. As if the German automaker didn’t have enough trouble with the local authorities over the Dieselgate scandal, Volkswagen now makes a case for the 1.6 TDI in the T-Cross.
Considering the size and front-wheel-drive vehicle architecture, don’t you find it redundant to add a turbo diesel in this model? Volkswagen didn’t, and thus, £21,240 buys you the most fuel-efficient crossover from Wolfsburg. British customers can opt for this engine in the SE, SEL, and R-Line, but 95 PS (94 horsepower) is a bit lacking in terms of output.
Torque isn’t anything to write home about either at 250 Nm (184 pound-feet) nor is the five-speed manual that comes standard. On the upside, customers can specify the DSG for that little bit more hard-earned cash. The question is, who would choose the 1.6 TDI over the 1.0 TSI with 115 PS and 200 Nm? As far as we know, customers in the market for the T-Cross aren’t high-mileage drivers who need the efficiency of a turbo diesel on the long haul, let alone the clatter of compression ignition.
The pricing is wrong too, more so if you compare the Volkswagen with direct competitors from Hyundai and indirect rivals from the C-segment. The Kona starts at £17,305 in the United Kingdom while the Premium is the closest in pricing (£19,905) to the T-Cross. Adding insult to injury, those pounds sterling get you the 1.0 T-GDI with 120 PS from the get-go.
A compact hatchback such as the Ford Focus starts at £18,305 for the least powerful 1.0 EcoBoost, which goes to show that Volkswagen isn’t aware of this little thing called value for money. People’s car? Yeah right!
Assembled in Pamplona, Spain for the United Kingdom and Europe, the T-Cross is also manufactured in Brazil and China. Even though globalization is a reality of today’s automotive industry, not producing the T-Cross in the automaker’s domestic market is a bad sign in terms of quality assurance.
Torque isn’t anything to write home about either at 250 Nm (184 pound-feet) nor is the five-speed manual that comes standard. On the upside, customers can specify the DSG for that little bit more hard-earned cash. The question is, who would choose the 1.6 TDI over the 1.0 TSI with 115 PS and 200 Nm? As far as we know, customers in the market for the T-Cross aren’t high-mileage drivers who need the efficiency of a turbo diesel on the long haul, let alone the clatter of compression ignition.
The pricing is wrong too, more so if you compare the Volkswagen with direct competitors from Hyundai and indirect rivals from the C-segment. The Kona starts at £17,305 in the United Kingdom while the Premium is the closest in pricing (£19,905) to the T-Cross. Adding insult to injury, those pounds sterling get you the 1.0 T-GDI with 120 PS from the get-go.
A compact hatchback such as the Ford Focus starts at £18,305 for the least powerful 1.0 EcoBoost, which goes to show that Volkswagen isn’t aware of this little thing called value for money. People’s car? Yeah right!
Assembled in Pamplona, Spain for the United Kingdom and Europe, the T-Cross is also manufactured in Brazil and China. Even though globalization is a reality of today’s automotive industry, not producing the T-Cross in the automaker’s domestic market is a bad sign in terms of quality assurance.
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