Volkswagen T-Cross gets mid-life update

5 July 2023

The Volkswagen T-Cross small SUV will get an update later this year, including styling revisions, an infotainment update and some upgraded cabin materials to improve comfort.

The T-Cross was launched back in 2019, so its traditional mid-cycle update is right on schedule. Volkswagen will be hoping that this facelift boosts help it to take sales off the likes of the Ford Puma and Nissan Juke, which regularly feature in the UK’s monthly best-sellers’ list.

Styling-wise, the refreshed Volkswagen T-Cross features a redesigned front bumper with new LED daytime running lights on either side, which sit below squarer headlights that are now LED as standard. More advanced matrix LED headlights will also be offered on the options list.

At the rear are updated graphics across the full-width LED tail lights, while the rear bumper has been refreshed to match the front changes. Silver trims that represent underbody bash plates also feature on the bottom edge of the front and rear bumpers. (They’re certainly not real bash plates, so don’t expect them to offer any protection from rocks while off-roading!)

Volkswagen has also added three extra paint colours – a solid yellow, a metallic blue and a metallic red – to the colour palette.

The T-Cross also gets an interior rework, consisting of a new eight-inch infotainment screen with updated software (a nine-inch screen is also available) that now juts out of the dashboard, and the addition of softer materials for the dashboard and door trims to replace harder plastics on the original version.

The digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel will also now come as standard – an eight inch screen on entry-level models, and a ten-inch display on higher spec models – to replace raditional analogue gauges.

The optional removable towbar can take more weight than before – 75kg, up from 55kg – to provide better towing and bike carrying capabilities.

The engine choice remains the same – two 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol units with either 95hp or 110hp.

Based on the Polo hatchback, the Volkswagen T-Cross has received particular praise for its comfort, practicality and driving dynamics. However, it has been marked down by reviewers for providing less value than some cheaper rivals, as well as being less economical as well.

This update has the potential to positively affect its current Expert Rating of 69%, as one of the model’s chief complaints has centred around the car’s comparatively disappointing interior quality.

More details of the new Volkswagen T-Cross, including UK pricing and specifications, will be announced in the coming months. However, we don’t expect to see the updated model hitting UK roads until Spring next year.