Back to basics

Even in its base trim, the Volkswagen T-Cross' punchy and responsive drivetrain, composure on all surfaces and unmatched build quality thoroughly impressed the CAR team

- Driver: Kyle Kock

What usually happens when I'm presented with a long-term vehicle is that the editor will inform me that a particular vehicle will be arriving soon and that it's to be run through the usual gauntlet of school runs, daily commute, grocery shopping and a family vacation.

I knew that we'd be getting a T-Cross during the preliminary planning of this year's SUV Shootout, but wasn't prepared for just how plain it would look compared with some of its peers ahead of that week's assessments, particularly without the R-Line kit or larger alloy wheels of its more expensive siblings. It wasn't the largest nor the fastest car in this company, and its standard specification was decidedly modest.

But what the T-Cross brought to the table were impeccable road manners, a comfortable ride on the varying surfaces we traversed, and the sense that everything in the cabin was built to last. Those attributes, along with a drivetrain that was punchy and responsive when called upon for overtaking duty and has the potential to be reasonably economical, resulted in an impressive final three finish in a competition stacked with the who's who of compact SUVs competing around the R500 000 price point.