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Who needs Geneva if he can have Mallorca? 20 degrees, pure sunshine and the new Volkswagen T-Cross awaited a tense crowd of journalists last weekend. This year the Wolfsburg-based company wants to know it again and is starting their crossover in the coveted segment of mini-SUVs. The T-Cross, which is closely related to the Polo, conveys a bit of off-road romance, offers many customization options and yet remains solid on the floor when it comes to prices. Perfect conditions to explore the hilly landscape in Mallorca. And in fact there was a little surprise: The new T-Cross comes in my absolute favorite color: turquoise. At Volkswagen it was called "Makena Turquoise", but how could it be otherwise, the selection was limited, so that for me only the 1.0 TSI three-cylinder with 85 kW / 115 PS and optional 7-speed DSG in reflective silver metallic remained. It was also ok, especially since the automatic drive system in the winding streets of Mallorca was really fun. But as soon as the streets narrowed, there was always a slightly panicked feeling. Because the T-Cross looks much larger than it actually is. You always have the feeling of ratcheting against the next best wall on Mallorca's narrow routes, which fortunately never happened. The main reason is the generous feeling of space.
Generous sense of space
With its steep roof pillars and window areas, the VW T-Cross looks more massive on the outside. In the interior, this architecture provides plenty of shoulder room, plus a full six centimeters more in seat height and a further eight in the body height. So there is plenty of headroom, also for the rear passengers. A deep footwell ensures a relaxed position even on long journeys. Depending on the seating, plenty of luggage can also be loaded. The rear seat bench can be moved 14 centimeters in length, which increases the basic volume of the trunk from 385 to 455 liters. In comparison: the T-Roc has 392 - 445 liters. But this includes the large spare wheel recess that is located under the lockable loading floor. Regardless of whether there is a traffic jam or free travel: You are simply sitting comfortably. The sufficiently large seats in the T-Cross style are covered with beautiful fabric, well padded, without being too soft. The good lateral support supports the vehicle's impression of comfort.
The feeling of being seated naturally creates fears in the narrowest streets, but thanks to sophisticated safety assistants, practically nothing can happen. These are so good that it is even possible to test automated driving and supposedly only with the help of a half-full bottle. I have not tried this and I do not recommend everyone to do this, but it has probably only recently been tested by a reliable source with a Volkswagen. The half-full bottle is clamped in the middle of the lower area of the steering wheel, so that it “imitates” the driver's usual movements on the steering wheel. And the driving assistants already support driving, always steering the vehicle into the middle of the lane, even in curves, and braking if another vehicle appears in front of it. Of course, the driver was always ready to intervene if necessary, but he probably "drove" a good distance. As I said, I do not recommend trying this out, but it shows how exactly and safely today's assistance systems already work. I also had the chance to try this out in the T-Cross. Basically you just have to steer, the system does the rest. Very relaxing. Until you grasp the steering wheel a little too hard, because then it can happen that you suddenly find yourself in manual gearshift mode, because you get against the gearshift, which is very close to the steering wheel.
Mallorca is only once a year
The weather did the rest. Even if the Volkswagen T-Cross does not have a skylight or even a panoramic glass roof, it was enough to drive down the windows to enjoy the spring-like weather. A little detour to the beach and already came holiday feeling, especially the next day, when I could drive the T-Cross in Makena-Turquoise. What color can be combined so well with beach and sea as a rich turquoise?
The short tours over the Mediterranean island are fun, no question, but a special driving pleasure, I imagine a bit more dynamic. The small SUV from VW is frugal and testifies to solid design. After a few hours on highways and highways, through towns and small stretches of beach, the on-board computer shows me an average consumption of 6,9 liters on 100 kilometers. This is absolutely fine and remains like the performance in a good frame. The optional driving profile selection adds a bit more driving pleasure. Four different modes - Eco, Comfort, Sport and Individual - can be selected, which changes the handling of the T-Cross, but only minimally. Nevertheless, it has very good driving characteristics, which are directly related to an equally comfortable as well as tight suspension. If you want a little more, you can let off steam in addition to the three engines in the appearance of the T-Cross. In addition to the three trim levels T-Cross, Life and Style, there are 12 exterior finishes. Matching design packages in the interior with colored decors and elements in the fabric seat covers provide a change. Whereby also the regular executions of the three deliverable equipment lines, each with independent designs look fancy.
More is more
The crossover from Volkswagen starts with 95 PS and the manual five-speed gearbox at 17.975 Euro. The variant equipped with a six-speed gearbox with 115 PS starts at 19.400 Euro. In the next equipment variant Life it costs 21.500 Euro, as style 23.700 Euro are due. The optional 7 dual-clutch gearbox is available for an additional charge of 1.500 Euro. Later in the year, the engine range will be supplemented with a hefty 1,5-liter petrol engine with 150 PS and a 1,6-liter diesel with 95 PS. State-of-the-art assistance systems, which are both standard and optional, are available for comfortable and safe driving at any time. These include the environmental monitoring system Front Assist including pedestrian detection and city emergency braking, the lane assist Lane Assist, the hill start assist, the Proactive occupant protection system as well as the blind spot detection lane change assistant and the combined parking assistant. Optionally available are the assistance systems for fatigue detection, the ACC automatic parking control and the Park Assist parking assist.
Conclusion
With the right music from Sunshine Radio in the ear it went back to the base. A warm feeling of vacation in the stomach and a light smile on the face. The T-Cross is a solid mini-SUV with the right combination of driving pleasure and relaxation. It offers plenty of space, felt much more than his colleagues and even if it does not give the small SUV with all-wheel drive, that does not bother, it's actually in the city at home. Whether in Makena-Turquoise or in solid silver: There, he should soon develop into a popular eye-catcher on the street, which conjures the one or the other a smile on the face.
Text: Simone Amores
Pictures: Simone Amores / Volkswagen