Beforehand, the Volkswagen brand was always pegged as “classic” — with its offerings always being associated to the old-fashioned. But Volkswagen Philippines turned over a new leaf and began dishing out models that tickle the taste buds of the younger generation, too.
One of these is the Volkswagen T-Cross. A month before it was launched in the country, the Ayala-backed automotive distributor was already giddy to bring in its latest subcompact sport utility vehicle (SUV).
Was it just all hype? Or does the vehicle have enough power to woo the young market over against the likes of the Ford EcoSport and Kia Stonic, to name a few?
Let’s check the crème de la crème version, the T-Cross 180 MPI AT SE.
The Volkswagen T-Cross 180 MPI AT SE is 4,218mm long, 1,760mm wide and 1,599mm tall with a 2,651mm wheelbase. With such figures, the vehicle offers ample legroom for five occupants without compromising comfort. During and after being driven to Subic and back, none of the passengers who rode the crossover complained about space inside the vehicle (and they were able to catch some shuteye on the way there).
Our game plan was simple: drive up north and eat home-cooked meals in an open spot for lunch. Carrying all that food for five (with a half gallon of drinking water, some chips and a bag for the usual kid’s stuff) is easy as the Volkswagen T-Cross 180 MPI AT SE was designed with a spacious trunk as is. However, if required, the vehicle is versatile enough to carry up to 1,319 liters of cargo.
The Volkswagen has maintained its sophisticated look with the T-Cross 180 MPI AT SE — no exaggerated lines and curves or any overstated design. For the front fascia, owners get a prominent chrome grille that wears the company badge, a honeycomb design lower air intake, and a large rectangular housing for the LED headlamps and daytime running lamps.
At the back, the T-Cross 180 MPI AT SE offers a very unique tail light design that separates from the sea of subcompact SUV in the market. Also, the nameplate was placed in the middle (instead of being on the side), with no distinguishing letters that will reveal the variant for uninitiated.
Giving it a tall stance is the 17-inch alloy wheels.
But contrary to the design outside, the Volkswagen T-Cross 180 MPI AT SE plays it cool on the inside. Occupants will be greeted by trimmings similar to the body color outside. For this, a very youthful Syringa Violet is seen outside, so the model enjoys traces of violet for the interior.
Aside from that, the front seats have a triple-diamond design on the seats to give the vehicle further dynamism.
The abovementioned arrangements do not come as overkill — even for a vehicle such as the Volkswagen T-Cross that has an overall safe motif.
This vehicle is powered by a 1.5-liter Euro 6-rated engine paired to a six-speed tiptronic transmission — the same powertrain that its lower variant MPI AT S is equipped with.
This engine is capable of giving delivering up to 113hp and 145Nm torque. On paper, the front-wheel-drive vehicle can reach a top speed of 186kph and cover zero to 100kph in 13.3 seconds. With more than enough oomph, trust us, you will never get bored with the vehicle.
While the vehicle is still relatively small, the vehicle does not lack in features.
For one, the vehicle offers multiple charging points for mobile devices. Front occupants have a 12-volt power socket, USB-C, and USB-A ports; the rear passengers get their own set of USB-C and USB-A charging ports — among the ways that Volkswagen has future-proofed the vehicle.
Also, the Volkswagen T-Cross 180 MPI AT SE is fitted with a huge panoramic sunroof to give everyone his share of the view up above.
Remember we mentioned earlier that the occupants slept their way to Subic? Part of it can be attributed to the rear air-conditioning vents that made sure they have enough cool air on their side of the cabin.
Furthermore, the multifunction steering wheel is organized to have a clean layout of the buttons. These buttons give access to the infotainment system, the digital display readings, and even the vehicle’s cruise control.
Moreover, the Volkswagen T-Cross 180 MPI AT SE is also heavy on safety features thanks to the six airbags, anti-lock brake system, hill hold, anti-slip regulation, rear parking distance control, rear camera, immobilizer and tire pressure monitor.
It is also worth noting that the vehicle has cornering lights — a feature that I first saw on a Mercedes-Benz vehicle several years back. This feature illuminates the side where you turn into.
The price for the top-of-the-line Volkswagen T-Cross 180 MPI AT SE is only P1.198 million — a few thousand pesos above of the Ecosport 1.0L EcoBoost Titanium AT. This amount is very competitive considering all the trinkets that it shares to customers.
With that, the Volkswagen T-Cross 180 MPI AT SE is great consideration for those who would want their first Volkswagen to be classic yet chic.
Photos from Ruben D. Manahan IV
Also read:
Volkswagen brings global model to PH anew with T-Cross
The Volkswagen T-Cross, priced from P1.068-M, will be launched May 26
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