Volkswagen T-Cross review - Reliability and Safety

All Polos come with airbags for the driver and front passenger, side impact airbags and curtain airbags front and rear. Extra safety kit includes a tyre pressure loss warning system, ‘PreCrash’ preventive occupant protection - which tenses the seatbelts and closes the windows in the event of an imminent collision - and a post-collision braking system which prevents the car from rolling into the path of another vehicle after an initial crash.

Further up the range, SE models add adaptive cruise control and an emergency braking system, while SEL models gain front and rear parking sensors.

20

While the T-Cross hasn’t yet been tested by Euro NCAP, the Polo on which it is based scored the maximum five stars when it was tested in 2017. Its adult occupant safety rating of 96 percent was one of the best in all that year’s assessments.

The T-Cross hasn’t yet featured in any Driver Power rankings, though the Polo, with which it shares much of its mechanical make-up, finished a disappointing 84th out of 100. Volkswagen finished a middling 17th out of 30th in the brand category. At least on the face of things, the T-Cross seems solidly built.

Warranty

The T-Cross, like all other new Volkswagens, comes as standard with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. There’s also a three-year paintwork warranty and 12 years of cover against corrosion from the inside out. Most rivals come with similar warranty periods, though the Hyundai Kona (five years) and the Kia Stonic (seven) have longer protection.

Servicing

Buyers can choose between Volkswagen’s fixed or flexible service packages. The former is recommended for lower-mileage cars, typically covering less than 10,000 miles per year. Those using their T-Cross for daily mileages of over 25 miles are better served by the latter.

The car uses a range of sensors to determine when it needs servicing, but Volkswagen claims that the T-Cross can cover anything between 10,000 and 20,000 miles between oil changes on the flexible service package.