2025 Volkswagen T-Cross update: Honda HR-V and Toyota Yaris Cross rival gets re-worked line-up with significant spec and safety upgrades

Volkswagen has detailed its upcoming 2025 T-Cross range, with a tweaked variant line-up and upgraded standard equipment.

Now arriving in three grades – Life, Style and R-Line – the T-Cross will ship with some significant additional safety items as standard, including adaptive LED headlights, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, pre-crash systems (like tightening the seat belts if the AEB is triggered) adaptive cruise control and park assist.

It also gains new interior materials, including a soft-touch dash finish, and an increase in the amount of synthetic leather trims in the doorcards of the Style and R-Line grades.

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Exterior upgrades include Matrix LED headlights and an illuminated strip across the grille on the mid-grade Style, as seen in the current Golf and T-Roc ranges, as well as 16- 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels depending on the grade with new designs.

Along with safety upgrades, the entry-level Life scores different 16-inch wheels, LED headlights, an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio, a wireless phone charger, a leatherbound multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters, a rear view camera, ‘surround lighting’ and power folding door mirrors.

Now arriving in three grades – Life, Style and R-Line.

The mid-grade Style gains trick Matrix LED headlights with adaptive high-beams, 17-inch alloy wheels, built-in navigation, premium ‘Digital Cockpit Pro’ instrument cluster, wireless phone connectivity, dual-zone climate control, voice control and chrome roof rails.

The new T-Cross will arrive in Australia in September of this year with pricing to be announced closer to its on-sale date.

The R-Line trim – now a standalone flagship variant rather than a $2600 option on the Style –gains new styling touches to the exterior and interior, 18-inch wheels, a new Sport drive mode, tinted side and rear windows and a 300W Beats premium audio system.

Mechanically, the T-Cross range is unchanged, powered by the carryover 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine (85kW/200Nm) paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

The R-Line trim gains new styling touches to the exterior and interior.

These upgrades were revealed for Europe in July of 2023, although the new T-Cross will arrive in Australia in September of this year with pricing to be announced closer to its on-sale date. Expect prices to bump a little higher than the outgoing MY23 models (which sit at $30,990 for the Life, or $33,490 for the Style, both before on-road costs).

The mid-grade Style gains a built-in navigation and premium ‘Digital Cockpit Pro’ instrument cluster.

The updated German small SUV will have to continue fend off competition from the Toyota Yaris Cross (from $30,000), Honda HR-V (from $36,000), ageing Mazda CX-3 (from $26,950), or even the Euro-sourced new Peugeot 2008 (from $39,990), and outgoing Renault Captur (from $33,000, all before on-road costs).