Volkswagen reveals new T-Cross: major update for the successful compact SUV

Initial pictures and facts for the enhanced generation, which will be launched on the market at the beginning of 2024

- Improved material quality and overall design of the vehicle interior as well as technical features reflect customer feedback

- Optionally available Travel Assist assist system permits semi-automated driving

Volkswagen presents the first facts and pictures of the new T-Cross: The car comes to customers with its revamped design, enhanced standard equipment, new technology features and a newly designed high-quality interior. Pre-sales are scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2023. In just four years, the T-Cross has captured a top position among compact SUVs: around 1.2 million people have already chosen this versatile Volkswagen. With an average of 300,000 units produced every year, the T-Cross, which is also offered outside Europe under the names Tacqua and Taigun, is currently one of the most successful Volkswagen models worldwide.

Modern exterior design and fresh new colours. From the outside, the updated T-Cross is immediately recognisable by the new design of its front and rear with new integrated LED headlights, LED daytime running lights and LED taillight clusters. The IQ.LIGHT LED matrix headlights are a completely new Volkswagen development and are offered for the first time on the T-Cross. Three new, fresh colours have been added to the model range: the solid colour Grape Yellow (a crisp, sporty yellow), Clear Blue Metallic (an elegant and friendly light blue) and Kings Red Metallic (a vivid, striking red).

New infotainment system generation and high-quality interior. The central element in the interior of the new T-Cross is the free-standing infotainment display. The standard touchscreen measures 20.3 cm (eight inches) across the diagonal; the top-of-the-range version has a 9.2-inch display with a diagonal of 23.4 cm. In addition, all versions of the four-door five-seater will now be fitted with digital instruments as standard. The dash panel in the T-Cross has also undergone a complete redesign: as in larger VW models, the dash panel features soft-upholstered and significantly higher-quality surface materials. The same applies to the front door trims of the Style and R-Line versions. A manual air conditioning system is on board as standard, and the Air Care Climatronic automatic air conditioner with back-lit touch sliders is available as an option.

Well thought-out and variable, transport of e-bikes is now possible. The T-Cross has always had one of the most spacious and versatile interiors of all compact SUVs. It impresses with its proven operating concept, well-arranged space for up to five people, a rear bench seat that can be moved by 140 mm and an extremely flexible luggage compartment. When all the seats are occupied, the T-Cross offers a luggage compartment capacity of between 385 and up to 455 litres when loaded up to the height of the rear bench seat. When the rear bench seat is folded down (60:40 split), this creates a flat load area with a stowage volume of up to 1,281 litres (loaded up to the height of the front seat backrests). The front passenger seat can additionally be folded down as standard from the Life specification package and up. The continuous load area from the rear to the front is then 2,398 mm long and can stow everything from surfboards to paragliders.

Volkswagen has also increased the drawbar load of the T-Cross by a considerable margin: from 55 to 75 kg. This additional 20 kg increases the maximum load that can act vertically on the removable towbar (optional). The new T-Cross therefore offers greater scope towing a heavy trailer. At the same time, the maximum permitted weight of bicycles that can be transported on a carrier mounted on the towbar is increased – something that is particularly important for transporting e-bikes.

Travel Assist offers significantly improved comfort. The new T-Cross is one of the only vehicles in its class in the world to be optionally equipped with Travel Assist for greater longitudinal and lateral vehicle control. Depending on the traffic ahead and the permitted speed, the T-Cross can control the vehicle’s speed with automatic acceleration and braking. Within the system limits, Travel Assist can also include speed limits, bends, and roundabouts in its control interventions. At the same time, Lane Assist can help to keep the vehicle in its lane. The new T-Cross can automatically perform stop-and-go operations when fitted with the DSG.

LED headlights, LED taillights and "Digital Cockpit" as standard. The significantly upgraded basic version of the T-Cross will now include features such as the new LED headlights (instead of halogen), new LED taillight clusters, a multifunction camera, Dynamic Road Sign Display, the Digital Cockpit, and a new, free-standing infotainment display for all versions. The next step up is the Life version, which includes, for example, new 16-inch alloy wheels and a leather multifunction steering wheel. The top versions are the Style (for more elegance) and R-Line (with sporty accents) specification packages. The new T-Cross models are powered by the well-known, efficient TSI engines from Volkswagen.

Availability of the new T-Cross. Pre-sales and activation of the online configurator for compact SUV will start in the fourth quarter of 2023. The market launch for dealers will begin in the first quarter of 2024. Despite the extensive enhancements, the new T-Cross will still be offered at a very attractive base price.

The production of the bestseller in its current version is already sold out in many European markets for 2023 and will be available in Germany for a short time. New vehicles that Volkswagen customers configure and order after the final sales based on the current model will already be part of the new T-Cross generation when they are delivered in the first quarter of 2024. Volkswagen is therefore giving customers and media an early glimpse of this major T-Cross update.