Volkswagen banks on brand's rich local heritage to fend off onslaught from the People's Republic.
The VW T-Cross base model has finally been rolled out. Picture: Mark Jones
In February this year Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) announced that were adding two new entry-level derivatives to their top selling T-Cross line-up. A 1.0 TSI 70kW Base fitted with a five-speed manual transmission and a 1.0 TSI 85kW Base with a double clutch setup, priced at R400 700 and R418 200 respectively.
Fast forward some five months, and an invite arrived for us to go spend some time with VWSA and get acquainted with the VW T-Cross in the metal this time. A 1.0 TSI 70kW Base was dropped off at The Citizen Motoring‘s office for us to use for a few weeks and to get to the event as part of an impromptu media launch-type drive.
Psychological R400k barrier
Now while we expected the spec to be exactly that same, what we did not expect was that VWSA had quietly dropped the price on the 70kW Base model to R399 900. Citing unrelenting market pressure from the Chinese, who are extremely active in this segment, as one of the reasons they wanted the entry level T-Cross to come in under the psychological R400 000 barrier.
This makes perfectly good business sense especially when you consider that the VW T-Cross is 100% under fire from the likes of Chery with their Tiggo 4 Pro. Offering seven model derivatives ranging in price from R269 900 to R386 900 it’s easy to see why the Chery Tiggo 4 is shooting the lights out. This Chinese offering has in fact now moved up to be South Africa’s third best-selling passenger car behind the VW Polo Vivo and Toyota Corolla Cross.
Not flashy, but solid
The 1.0 TSI 70 kW Base VW T-Cross comes kitted with the basics like a 8-inch digital cockpit, App-Connect, multi-function steering wheel, 2 USB ports in front, two speakers, central locking, childproof locks on rear doors, interior cloth trim for seats and door trim, air-conditioner, hill assist, 16-inch wheels and a tyre pressure monitoring system. While not flashy in any way, all the controls fall easy to hand, and are easy to use in typical VW fashion.
The Chery Tiggo 4 offers 108kW and 210Nm, and the 70kW and 175Nm on tap from the 1.0 TSI Base is never going to feel racy. And it isn’t. VWSA claim a 0-100km/h sprint time of 11.5 seconds and a top speed of 180 km/h. But what is maybe of more importance is that the claimed fuel consumption number is just 5.9-litres per 100km. And here the Chery Tiggo 4 falls short.
ALSO READ: Facelift Volkswagen T-Cross base models finally priced
VW T-Cross banks on brand heritage
So, while seemingly outgunned on price and spec on paper, VWSA are counting on their legacy, reputation for quality. And on people still having the desire to own a Volkswagen. It’s a tough ask in a very price sensitive part of the market. But this fight might pass down to the new locally produced Tengo compact crossover. It will hit the market in 2027 as a more affordable replacement for the overseas sourced T-Cross.
The VW T-Cross comes standard with a three-year/120 000km warranty and three-year/45 000km service plan.
