Latest update bolsters the strengths of VW’s versatile if slightly strait-laced crossover supermini
Independent design houses, I was once told, are sometimes involved in the kind of exterior-design-centric mid-life facelift that the Volkswagen T-Cross has just had. They’re a fresh set of eyes, I suppose, capable of the detachment that can address what’s lacking in the visual appeal of a car without dispensing with its strengths.You wouldn’t imagine a third party had been at the table in this particular case, though – and perhaps one should have been. Because, while it appeared back in 2019 as exactly the sort of rounded, practical, grown-up crossover supermini you might expect from Volkswagen, the T-Cross has never really laid a glove on the likes of the Nissan Juke, Vauxhall Mokka or Ford Puma for kerbside appeal. And, despite having some new bumpers and headlights, a palette of new colours, and a refreshed interior, guess what: it still doesn’t.Technical specsVolkswagen T-Cross 1.0 TSI 95 Life. Price: £23,975. Engine: 3 cyls in line, 999cc, turbocharged, petrol. Power: 94bhp at 5500rpm. Torque: 129lb ft at 1600-3500rpm. Gearbox: 5-spd manual, front-wheel drive. Kerb weight: 1254kg. 0-62mph: 11.2sec. Top speed: 112mph. Economy: 49.8mpg. CO2, BIK tax band: 128g/km, 30%
