The local market hasn’t been very kind to Volkswagen since its launch in the country under the stewardship of the Ayala Group. While there was much excitement over the initial launch with the iconic Beetle and Golf models, Volkswagen Ph quickly realized that it was such a small niche market. Their next salvo of models was met with disappointment from the market with the Ayala bosses coming to realize that while the China-sourced models finally met the realistic budgets of the average Pinoy buyers, the sudden lack of sexy German-sourced models put a huge damper on the brand’s street credibility. While the Lamando, Lavida and Santana are competent, they don’t have that same sophisticated aura as the Golf and Passat.
Thankfully, Volkswagen Ph seems to have found a sweet-spot with the compact T-Cross which is everything everyone wants. A compact cross-over to satisfy today’s motoring zeitgeist, a price tag that doesn’t require selling off the children (starts at P1.098 million), in a compact yet tall-riding wagon body style that has enough ground clearance to tackle our bad roads, the odd forage onto dirt roads on out of town trips, and a decent trunk large enough to carry a weekend worth of gear. It’s got a handsome yet generically appealing shape that looks futuristic, hiding its China-made roots. Our test unit came in a metallic orange hue accentuated with silver accents on the front bumper and roof rails which, when mated to the LED DRL strips on the headlights, looks something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
Inside, the interior is simple, yet functional and surprisingly roomy. The T-Cross boasts of a class-leading wheelbase, endowing it with the aforementioned space, and crucially, the comfort and refinement one expects from a German-branded vehicle.
Thankfully, there’s Apple CarPlay (a must for busy people multi-tasking work, play and everything else in between), and NVH isolation is excellent. There’s an 8-inch or 9.2-inch LCD display available for either of the two variants, and from two to six airbags available for either base or premium SE variant which I tested. Hill-hold control, traction / stability control and ABS brakes are standard on both models, along with a 5-Star NCAP crash protection rating in Europe, Latin America and Australia.
On paper, the T-Cross seems like a dream come true. Why buy a dowdy Japanese branded sedan, when you can get so much more from a European marque? Well, there is a small chink in the T-Cross’ armor, and admittedly, you’ll never notice it if you very rarely venture beyond the concrete jungle, or flat paved roads. The T-Cross lacks grunt with its 1.5 liter 4-cylinder naturally-aspirated engine producing a barely adequate 111hp and 145 Newton-Meters of torque to the front wheels. It’s decent, gets a passing grade in the city, but the moment it sees an elevation change, it starts sweating bullets. We took it for a drive up and down Rizal via the Marilaque Highway and I had to drive it practically flat-out to maintain the speed limit, engine crying most of the way for the 34 or so kilometers we drove deeper and deeper into Rizal from Cogeo, Antipolo, before heading back. Without a good run prior to the ascents, followed by the twisty bits, the T-Cross will really struggle. An extra 20 or so pferdestarks (PS, or ‘horse strength in German), and crucially, 50 or so more of Sir Isaac’s Newtons would have changed the driving experience massively, for the very better, making for a more engaging and exciting driving experience.
It was all smooth going back down, the steering, brakes and suspension proving more than capable to deliver an entertaining experience with momentum providing a free and friendly boost in performance. For once, Volkswagen Ph (barely) meets the expectations of the market with the T-Cross. Stylish, sexy, sophisticated looking and despite being short on power, is well equipped, and crucially drives very well. Here’s hoping the brand finally finds its mojos, brings in the right products and finally sees success in the Philippines.
