• Remarkably roomy for its size
• Sliding rear seats are very useful
• Lots of standard safety equipment

How much space is there?

The T-Cross isn’t much bigger than a supermini – such as the VW Polo – but the space on offer from such a compact package is impressive – we can’t help but draw a comparison to a Tardis. It’s a prime candidate if you’re downsizing from a larger car and still want plenty of space, or if you’ve outgrown something Polo-sized and want a bit more space but still in a compact package.

Upfront space is excellent, with the boxy design of the T-Cross making the cabin feel lighter and airy. It’s an excellent small family car, with its extra height and elevated seating position making it much easier to get children into car seats. Rear-seat space is plentiful, too, with adults able to sit comfortably in the rear seats, even when we had the front seats slid back quite far. Headroom and legroom are both excellent, though the fairly narrow width means you’ll struggle to transport three people in the second row. 

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All T-Cross models also come with a sliding rear bench, allowing you to increase the boot space or legroom depending on your preference. We’d argue the interior of the T-Cross is more useful than the larger and more expensive T-Roc, which doesn’t come with sliding rear seats, even as an option. 

Boot space and storage

Despite being a similar size to a Polo, the boot space of the T-Cross is comparable to that of a Golf, with 385 litres of space as standard, but this can increase to 455 litres with the rear seats slid forwards. It’s a decent size for a car in this class, but a Skoda Kamiq offers even more room.

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All models also come with a height-adjustable boot floor, and 60:40 split-folding rear seats. There’s a decent amount os standard storage too, including big cupholders and a sliding draw under the driver’s seat. 

Is it easy to park?

The T-Cross is a very easy car to park in our experience, with excellent visibility courtesy of its boxy shape. It’s got large windows all around, with light steering and controls making it ideal around a busy town or city. 

All models also come with front and rear parking sensors, with the Match trim level – our pick of the range – coming with a reversing camera as standard. 

Gareth Evans, former associate editor of Parkers, ran a T-Cross as his daily car for six months and was full of praise for its easy driveability, saying ‘through width restrictors you notice its lack of width compared with cars around you, and it’s an absolute dream to park thanks to simple controls and great visibility.’

Safety

• Five-star Euro NCAP safety rating
• Excellent scores in all categories
• Lots of standard safety kit included

The Volkswagen T-Cross is among the safest small crossovers you can buy, scoring a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating when tested in 2019. It is worth noting that the score won’t compare like-for-like with a newer car, given the changes made to the testing in recent years. 

That said, a 97% rating for adult occupant protection is seriously impressive, as is 86% for child occupant protection. It’s also brimmed with standard safety kit, with mandatory traffic sign recognition and lane assist included, but also adaptive cruise control and high beam assist, which aren’t often commonplace on a car of this size.