House & Leisure drives VW T-Cross
The all-new Volkswagen T-Cross; where form meets function and practicality doesn’t necessarily equate to a loss of design. Built-in Navarra, Spain the T-Cross echoes the new design language found in it’s bigger siblings, the Touareg and Tiguan, yet it maintains an individual aesthetic for the youngest of this brood. The smallest of the VW SUV family to date the T-Cross bridges the gap between the Polo and Tiguan, offering the best of both worlds, small dimensions on the outside and big, practical space on the inside.
An uncomplicated appearance, the T-Cross is free from fussy design-lines and unwarranted creases in the metal that have been put there for the sake of it, a breath of fresh air in a landscape obsessed with over-complicated designs.
Built on the highly versatile MQB platform (the company’s strategy for shared modular design construction) it is sophisticated and diverse with an eye-catching appearance. Bold colours of Energetic Orange keep the colour palette options on-trend; the interior ‘transition’ 3D design element brings a highlight of colour to the cabin interior in a tasteful manner that celebrates individuality without being gaudy.
Road less traveled
Our country is home to a plethora of quaint towns that celebrate the creative narrative with unbridled joy (we’re looking at you Nieu-Bethesda). Exploring the silence between these towns is made easier in the T-Cross with raised ride-height of 10cm over the Polo. Sudden gravel roads or an unkempt shoulder disintegrating into dust poses no challenge for the T-Cross on weekends away adventuring, an advantage of raised ride-height is greater visibility of the road ahead, perfect for exploring quiet towns in the countryside.
Space for DIY projects
The T-Cross has a generous-sized wheelbase, enough space for four adults comfortably; five will fit snugly. The luggage space of 377 – 455 litres is enough to fit four-overnight bags and those one-off artworks found in random padstals off the highways and byways of South Africa. The adjustable sliding rear bench moves forward by 14cm if you need extra space to add a must-have outdoor artistic piece from yet another padstal down the way. Larger items pose no transportation headache, the split-folding rear seats can be folded flat to open up 1 281-litres of storage space, enough for everything you need to turn your garden into a study on water-wise plants or packing the surfboard or bicycle on a Sunday morning.
Safety first
The rationale is simple; the T-Cross is equipped with all the technology you need and not the hyper-luxurious items that inflate the asking price. Safety is a non-negotiable, and the T-Cross meets the strictest of criteria for safety – a five-star Euro NCAP test rating (scoring 97% for adult occupants and 86% for children). Included in the safety list is Front Assist, a system that uses technical wizardry for pedestrian and cyclist safety.
Standard on the T-Cross Comfortline priced from R334 600 (incl. 3-year/45 000km service plan and 3-year/120 000km warranty) are 16-inch alloy wheels, black roof rails, park distance control and cruise control, optional extras that fall into the box that should be ticked include keyless entry, 17-inch wheels, Discover Media system with satellite navigation and active info display digital binnacle cluster.
The entry-level T-Cross model with a starting price of below R300 000 will be available in South Africa in 2020.
This post is sponsored
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