New VW T-Cross for South Africa – Launch date and standard features

VW’s entry-level crossover is being updated this year and is scheduled to touch down in South Africa in the second half of 2024, the company revealed.

The refreshed T-Cross is part of three new SUVs earmarked for the domestic market over the next 12 months, the others being the next-gen Tiguan and facelifted Touareg.

The German automaker hopes that these new vehicles will help it recover the market share it has lost over the past few years to competitors such as Suzuki, the latter of which is gunning to take away VW’s spot as the second best-selling car brand in the country – something it was dangerously close to doing this past January.

“For the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, 2024 holds immense significance as we set our sights on re-establishing our presence in the local market and reclaiming our position in the fiercely competitive automotive landscape,” said Niels Wichmann, Head of Brand for VW Passenger Cars.

“With a renewed focus on quality, performance, and customer satisfaction, we are confident that 2024 will be a pivotal year for the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand.”

New T-Cross specifications

The updated T-Cross sports a new front fascia underscored by standard LED headlights in a revised design paired with integrated LED daytime-running lights, a new mesh grille and bumper insert, and restyled fog light clusters.

A new selection of alloy wheels is on offer, and the LED taillights now have a funky four-point star design paired with an edge-to-edge LED light bar.

The paint palette was also expanded with three colours comprising Clear Blue Metallic which is expressed as an “elegant and friendly” light blue, Grape Yellow which is a “crisp, sporty” yellow, and Kings Red Metallic which is a “vivid, striking” red.

For the first time, Matrix LED headlights are available on VW’s smallest SUV as an optional extra for enhanced night-time visibility.

Inside, the new T-Cross was given a free-standing infotainment screen in the centre of the dash instead of the integrated system of the current generation, in addition to a digital driver’s display across the range.

The central screen measures eight inches across the diagonal in the base versions, whereas the top-spec models get a 9.2-inch panel.

The dash has further been redesigned to be more in line with the brand’s more premium SUVs, and it now incorporates higher-quality soft-touch surface materials which have also been extended to the front door trims.

The naming scheme of the T-Cross is being changed, too, moving away from the current “Comfortline” and “Highline” nomenclature to Base, Life, Style, and R-Line designations – which will determine the crossover’s standard specifications and design.

VW stated that the Style and R-Line are sharing the flagship position, à la Amarok, with the former wearing a more elegant aesthetic and the latter giving off a sportier persona.

Like the current model, the new T-Cross will be available with a “range of engine options” but the company did not reveal whether any changes were made to these drive units. Given that it’s a facelift and not an entirely new generation, the powerplant selection will likely remain unchanged.

In South Africa, we presently have a turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol option with either 70kW and 175Nm, or 85kW and 200Nm on tap; and a 1.5-litre generating 110kW and 250Nm.

These motors can be paired with a five-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearbox – depending on the model – with all combinations turning the front axle.

The complete specifications and pricing of the new VW T-Cross will be made public closer to its introduction date in the second month of 2024.

2024 VW T-Cross