The small SUV battlefield is incredibly crowded these days, and this is as true within Volkswagen's own model range as it is in the car market as a whole.
While the Touareg luxury SUV and Tiguan family SUV have plenty of space to breathe higher up in the brand's line-up, the T-Cross, T-Roc and Taigo rather tread on each other's toes at the more affordable end of the portfolio.
But why so many fish in such a small pond? Well, to attract as many buyers as possible, Volkswagen has tried to cover off every possible taste.
The Taigo-with a hint of coupé about its roofline - is for those who are willing to sacrifice a bit of practicality for sleeker looks.
Meanwhile, the T-Cross and T-Roc have more traditional SUV styling, but with the former about 100mm shorter and more budget-focused.
The T-Roc has been our pick of the two so far (indeed, it's one of our outright favourite small SUVs), but the T-Cross has just had a timely update. Plus, even if you buy it in a higher trim level, it's still cheaper to buy than the T-Roc. So, can the T-Cross finally outshine its slightly bigger sibling?
DRIVING
Performance, ride, handling, refinement
Our contenders are powered by the same turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol engine and, unsurprisingly, are closely matched in terms of acceleration (even though our test T-Roc was powered by the now discontinued 108bhp version of that engine, rather than the latest one's 113bhp). The lighter T-Cross sprinted from 0-60mph in 11.1sec in our tests (versus 11.2sec for the T-Roc) in very wet conditions. Volkswagen's official 0-62mph figures back this up (10.0sec for the T-Cross and 10.1sec for the T-Roc in 1.0 TSI 115 guise). Neither car struggles to get up to speed on a motorway slip road, and they have plenty of pep when a burst of acceleration is required for overtaking a slower car.
This story is from the August 2024 edition of What Car? UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2024 edition of What Car? UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BEST FAMILY CAR
TOYOTA COROLLA 1.8 Hybrid Icon
BEST SMALL CAR
RENAULT CLIO 1.0 TCe 90 Techno
Playing the long game
A new generation of family-friendly electric SUVs with lengthy official ranges and keen pricing has arrived. Let's find out which of them is best prepared to meet your needs in the years ahead
Ford Puma Gen-E
Small electric SUV builds on the petrol-engined Puma's talents when it comes to practicality On sale Spring Price from £29,995
Toyota Land Cruiser
Latest iteration of this 4x4 gets chunky new looks and a modern interior but mostly sticks with a proven formula On sale Now Price from £74,995
Coming around again
The Mini Cooper has seen many reinventions during the past seven decades, and now Renault's much-loved small car of the 1970s is following suit-exclusively with electric power. We test the two back to back
WHEN A BATTERY MEETS ITS MAKER
End of life isn't necessarily the end of the story for electric car batteries, as Claire Evans finds out
Honda O Series SUV
Distinctive SUV with advanced driver assistance spearheads the brand's new electric line-up On sale 2026 Price from £46,000 (est)
Mercedes-Benz EQE 500
The EQE 500 bridges the gap between the long-range 350+ and performance-focused AMG 53 On sale Now Price from £82,605
Toyota Urban Cruiser
Versatile small electric SUV brings a 249-mile official range On sale Autumn Price from £36,000 (est)