Volkswagen Multivan: Special K in a modern setting

The heir to one of Volkswagen's most iconic models is updated for 2021.

The occupants’ coffee consumption possibly outdid the Multivan’s modest thirst for diesel.

VIP lounge came with an ever-changing view.

Volkswagen Multivan

Price: $79,500.

Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel, 110kW/340Nm, 7-speed automatic, FWD, combined economy 6.6L/100km.

Vital statistics: 4904mm long, 1904mm wide, 1970mm high, 3000mm wheelbase,18-inch alloy wheels.

We like: It's a unique take on the people mover, loads of passenger space, clever interior fitout, highly efficient powertrain.

We don't like: No spare wheel, no orthodox power plug.

 AS is typical of best-laid plans, this one didn’t wholly go as I’d imagined it would.

The idea was brilliantly simple. I thought.

 We’re motorsport fans. The New Zealand Grand Prix had moved up from our favourite locale, Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon, up to the Hampton Downs track in south Waikato. It would be Ken Smith’s 50th turn-out. Toyota New Zealand and circuit owner Tony Quinn had mustered a who’s who of famous Kiwi ‘name’ drivers to join the veteran great on the grid.

Irresistible, right? Particularly since I was down to test what logically seemed to be the perfect vehicle for such a roadie.

Before getting into that … basically, there were four starters to do this: Myself and Mrs B, and two mates.

We were at the point of sorting accommodation when things got wobbly.

Josh, so straight-out enthusiastic, had cold feet. Convincing his partner hadn’t gone well. “She’s threatening me with a visit to A and E.” One man down, just like that.

Big Jerry was still 100 percent in. But with a caveat. His much-loved but all-too-under-utilised motorbike needed a run, sooooo … a twist. He’d ride the Triumph to Hamilton, where we’d found digs, then ride in our vehicle to and from track on race day. Which he did.

This meant, all the same, that for 80 percent of its utilisation, ‘VIP1’ – our preferred reference for what Volkswagen calls a Multivan 6.1 Cruise – was tragically under-utilised.

Just Team Bosselman aboard and upfront meant the ‘lounge’ behind was, for much of our escapade, as empty as a Queenstown tourist hotel.

 We only managed to fill the ‘back room’ to something like capacity for a Saturday trip to a restaurant, Jerry and two old friends from Cambridge making a party of five for a 20-minute run each way.

That was the only occasion when the mid-row bucket seats were experienced on the move in their rear-facing position. Ken preferred to face forward, Julie taking the plunge and finding it “weird but comfortable.”

In fact, comfort was the common feedback factor from all, as well it should be. 

In this market, vans are associated much more with moving pallets and parcels than people. In Europe, VW’s mainstay model goes … well, both ways. In addition to formatting for cargo, this mobile box also fits out for human cargo.

The end result is hugely impressive. As much as a Multivan obviously draws from the Transporter commercial vehicle, look inside and it’s another, wholly VW-designed, impressively plush world:.

kids with their electronic devices … Jerry enjoyed the VW’s comfort, at least for the leg between Hamilton and Hampton Downs.

Ours was a standard wheelbase front-drive edition configured for day-tripping, so although it could convert into a mobile bedroom – assuming you don’t mind laying on the floor - , it’s really more a mobile dayroom, with two chairs up front purely for travelling plus three more in the back, provisioning as another pair of chairs that can swivel backwards to face big bench set up for three occupants. Everything, including a clever cubby that converts into a table, affixed to a tracking system in the floor. This allows all elements to slide, tilt, rotate and be removed completely, allowing the Multivan to transform from people mover into a full-blown van.

It’s not a complete Tardis, in that the packaging ultimately only allows a fully expansive rear guest room at expense of luggage room. Yet it’s not impossible to cart luggage and bodies. You just have to get creative. Sure, when the back seat is ALL the way back, the floor space reduces considerably: Basically, think Suzuki Swift. But you still gets loads of vertical room and, with a bit of thought about it could all stack without toppling, I got four bags - one each for us, two for Jerry (a bloke who apparently packs for EVERY possible occasion) – slotted in. Heading back two days later, I recognised that all that stuff could just as eaaily stow behind those reverse-faced chairs. If you were a family heading off, you’d use the roof rails and maybe fit a pod. Or big a bigger version. VW does those.

For me, though, what I got was just right and very pleasing; which kind surprised, because I’m anything but a ‘van man’. Yet, this one is so well considered I was pretty much won over; as vehicle configurations go, it gives a pretty solid reason to think outside the box. Even though that’s what it is.

The Cruise trim we experienced is a step up from the alternate Comfortline for equipment level. You’ll find some snazzy appointments within a space accessing by electric-opening (by touch or remote) sliding side doors and the thoughtfulness of the design is compelling, while for quality of materials, fit and finish it was well ahead of the far-from-inexpensive motel room we took for two nights. Maybe I should have thought about sleeping in the van. The motel’s bed was terrible, too.

Ken Smith accomplished his 50th New Zealand GRand Prix outing … an astounding achievement. WEll done that man!

The attention to technology detail really impresses. One of the big changes for this year is adoption of a dashboard straight from the latest VW cars, so you get a neat touchscreen with all the latest gadgets and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto inclusion. You know a brand is right up to speed when the personal electronics inputs are high-flow US-C types (don’t worry, US-B users, VW provisions an adapter). And in case you were wondering – there’s no chance of mid-flight escape from those side doors as there’s a child lock activated electrically from the dashboard.

The internal versatility isn’t entirely complete; there was sad faces within Team B on realisation that it lacks the three-point plug input required to run our Nespresso Pixi coffee machine. No fridge, either. But you could get around both (and we did) to enable the roadside ‘scenic spot’ coffee stop between Waiouru and Turangi, shifting to the back so as to enjoy the seating and table (which is also so perfect as a work station you could imagine it opening up as easily as a mobile office  as a use beyond weekend jaunts).

As a refresh of the T6 (which debuted in 2016), which in turn carried over the same platform that traces back to the T5 in 2003 (that, in turn, looks all the way back to the Type 2, colloquially known by every Kiwi as the Kombi),  the 2021 line achieves styling revisions that tie it more neatly with VW’s latest cars without any awkwardness. So, apart from the interior reshape, it also has a grille design replicating that of other Volkswagen models from the crossover and sports utility family. This one also had a chrome pack, darkness-piercing LED headlights and continued a Kombi-born tradition, of a two two-tone, ‘white on the bottom trendy colour of your choice’ paint scheme. Spearmint green seemingly being a bit too wild for some.

Two litre turbodiesel isn’t overly power-packed, but it has heaps of torque and aces on refinement. It doesn’t drink much, either.

That 10.25-inch 'Digital Cockpit' instrument display and a huge touch-operated infotainment screen, on which users can adjust the layout to show driving data, full-screen mapping information from the navigation system or alternately use it as an Apple CarPlay portal, is brilliant, though integration didn’t operate seamlessly. I’m wondering if my iPhone is also to blame; you always hear about designed obsolescence and, after two and a bit years, the Bluetooth seems a bit dodgy. However, VW’s set-up also seems to demand decent WiFi link-up and that’s not a given in the central North Island. Driving up from the Manawatu and via Taupo then Tokoroa and to Cambridge provided a seamless podcast-listening, call-taking and making and map-using operability. Whereas coming back via the western side of Lake Taupo took us into a black spot that put the integration into quite a tizz. Even after radio reception returned, the phone integration never properly enabled for the rest of that day.

Never mind, the driving in itself was entertaining. For sure, the van-ness puts it in a wholly different category to a road car, but for those with SUV driving experience there’s a lot more similarity.

 You sit more upright in a van, yes, and there’s a dashboard gear selector, but there’s plenty of adjustment for the seat and the steering wheel (rake and reach) and though you do rely even more on the sensors, mirrors and excellent rear vision camera to cover off all the blind spots, forward visibility is mostly unobstructed. This, the imperious driving position and sense that it’s a vehicle that rewards those who respect its 2300kg mass and stance don’t make it much different than, say, a large Range Rover.

The model featured is powered by a 2.0-litre 110kW/340Nm turbodiesel. This churns through a seven-speed twin-clutch trans to spin the front wheels. There is a factory engine update package that boosts the grunt and other versions are all-wheel-drive. Maybe you’d look at that power upgrade if you were frequently going to be driving with most of the seats filled, and some luggage aboard, and AWD is good for all-weather, but neither seems an absolute imperative.

we were fortunate to go from one vip lounge to another. Thanks Toyota New Zealand.

For sure, there’s good reason why you won’t see a GTI badge on the back of one of these. This drivetrain is more about hauling big kilos then high kmh count sprinting; it’s a toiler. There’s some brief turbo lag from idle, easily overcome by giving the throttle a decent stab initially then easing off when the torque arrives; that doesn’t take long. At same token, it’s far from being a road slug like a full-out campervan; when opportunity came to overtake, it delivered well.

 Low-end muscularity is what this engine is all about; you get a big wave of twisting force served up from just 1500rpm to 3000rpm. It’ll rev harder but, for the most part, you find no need to make it do that. That’s the sweet spot pretty much all the time. Even within that band, it’s hardly being stressed. Giving the throttle a small nudge on the throttle was quite enough to keep it settled on 100kmh on some serious ascents.

Having the seven-speed automatic helps, and it acts swiftly and smoothly to move up through the gears and exploit the engine's torque.

The benefits of how it presents as driven seem two-fold. First, it’s surprisingly refined. The only diesel clatter comes at start-up; from there on it’s a low-toned background noise. Second, when tooling around in a tall gear at a steady clip trip, it becomes impressively thrifty. I was stunned that the trip computer’s long term average at journey’s end was reading 7.2 litres  per 100km. That’s just 0.6L/km off the claimed optimal and better by 0.2L/100km than I saw from our Skoda Karoq TDi after our last big run.

This frugality meant the VW only needed a single refuel, which was more of a top-up since most of what I put in before leaving Hamilton still seemed to be in the tank 400kms down the line.

The refuelling exercise highlighted one quirk; the filler location is on the left side, right by the passenger door, which needs to be opened first so that the fuel hatch can be opened. Obviously, something that makes more sense when a driver is located on that side.

One salient change with this model is VW’s move to electro-mechanical power steering. You might not notice the change in respect to how it feels. That’s not the point. The more important reason for its implementation is that it enables better driver assistance systems to be added: Lane-keep assist, lane departure warning and park assist are now available. There’s also autonomous emergency braking (up to 30kmh), blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

Another element that will surely be appreciated is a cross wind assist that automatically activates at speeds above 80kmh. Should the van be hit by a sudden gust – or buffeted by a truck’s slipstream - the ESC will activate one or more of the brakes to help steer against it. If the vehicle begins to drift out of its marked lane at or above 60kmh, the system will counter-steer to correct its course. 

Some will argue that, with its commercial-grade bones, the Multivan doesn’t offer the same kind of ride sophistication that more dedicated passenger vehicle platforms offer. I take that point.

if seat count is more important than ability to seriously off-road, then the Multivan smashes it.

On the other hand, there’s a practicality and value side here that also demands consideration, though it might not be readily apparent.

Thought about this rose in the aftermath of this test, when colleagues on a national publication offered thought about what kind of seven-seater SUV would be best suit a workmate whose family had recently grown.

Here’s the thing: The candidate seemed to be a city person who lived, worked and played in a city environment. So there was no absolutely valid reason for it to be any kind of SUV.

As it turned out, only one of his associates recognised this, in nominating the Mercedes GLB (car-based, tightly dimensioned, a good choice if perhaps a bit tight). The others, depressingly, all pitched XXL-sized $100k-plus off-road models as ‘best picks.’ 

For sake of failure to use a better descriptive - ‘vehicle’ would have done nicely - the Multivan at half the price as some of their choices delivering twice the efficiency and double the practicality was ignored.

What’s the hardest challenge to overcome for passenger-sorted vans? Quite obviously, it’s gotta be another ‘v’ word. Vanity.

Volkswagen Touareg V8 R-Line: Right kind of 'wrong'

If this flagship represents diesel’s last gasp, it’s one heck of a deep breath.

Price: $141,900

Powertrain and economy: 4.0-litre turbodiesel V8, 310kW/900Nm, 8-speed automatic, AWD, combined economy 9.9L/100km, CO2 258g/km.

Vital statistics: 4878mm long, 1984mm wide, 1702mm high, 2984mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 810 litres, 21-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Effortlessly muscular, a smart alternate to more prestigious VW Group models.

We don't like: Emissions count, no third row seating, awkwardly-site front cupholders.

 AROUND $60 billion to spend on increasing the count and production of electric cars and batteries … within the next four years.

You could say Volkswagen Group is spending as if there’s no tomorrow … and, in a way, that’s exactly why they’re doing it. That the ‘tomorrows’ for orthodox fossil fuelled vehicles are running out is recognised as being a cold, hard fact.

VW isn’t hanging around for the end of that world as we know it before concocting a Plan B. It’s blasting off to Planet Electric now. There’ll be 70 all-electric VW Group models by 2030, of which 20 are already signed off, and around 60 hybrid models by then as well, of which just over half are already being built.

 The volume ambitions are massive: 26 million fully electric models built this decade; 19 million based on the MEB (basically, mainstream electric) platform that underpins the NZ-bound Skoda Enyaq, Audi Q4, VW ID.4 crossovers, the remainder utilising a high-performance PPE (for ‘premium platform electric’) underpinning, which has yet to be used. That one is designed for vehicles of medium size or larger and is suited to both low- and high-riding applications.

Their rush has been fuelled by Dieselgate. VW’s unfortunate incident has utterly reshaped Europe’s biggest car maker and hastened the death of diesel.

Or so the headlines might have you believe. In fact, as much as VW is keen to move on from a period of significant unpleasantness – and despite the fuel type falling fast out of favour in key markets close to VW’s homeland -  it has yet to quit a dirty habit.

Look at the make’s pitches into the markets two core sectors, utes and large sports utilities, and you’d have to conclude diesel is far from dead. Quite the contrary. 

Still, that’s going to change. A platform-sharing project with Ford in which the Blue Oval takes the lead role means the next generation of VW’s Amarok, coming in 2022, is set to be a ‘Ranger-rok’. The drivetrains remain a mystery, but Ford has said it wants to electrify its commercials. Hence why NZ will get a fully battery-enabled Transit as an option to the PHEV edition now incoming. Same for the traydeck? 

Later this year, the big Touareg five-seater sports utility wagon will also take the plug-in plunge, becoming not only the first in this family to do so but also set to be the first large mainstream sub-$150,000 European vehicle here in that format.

The e-Hybrid variant is going to be high-profile. It represents as a member of the make’s R performance sub-brand and delivers with the same 250kW turbocharged 2.9-litre petrol V6 mated to a 100kW electric motor, fed by a 14.1kWh battery mounted beneath the boot floor, that has represented in the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid.

It’s a smart drivetrain: Up to 50kms’ electric-only running, plus emissions and economy that, just a decade ago, would have only been possible from a small car. Yet it’s a miser with serious muscle. Hence that R accreditation. Although VW says their package prioritises comfort and refinement over outright punch, it’ll be … well, electrifying. Expect the 0-100kmh sprint to take around five seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 250kmh.  

So the Touareg R is a model to look forward to, the next big step into a future we cannot ignore, one that quite potentially will lead to an all-electric conclusion in time.

Still, it would be surprising if Touareg fans immediately warm to it. Not because electric isn’t ‘right’ so much as because diesel has done their vehicle of choice no wrong.

Of all VW’s SUV models, the Touareg has consistently been the most dedicated to diesel powertrains with proven plus points of low fuel consumption and running costs for higher kilometres-per-litre economy, effortless grunt and long range between refills. 

Having a new compression-champ in the line is unlikely to make transition away from the dark side any easier.

The new 4.0-litre V8 that became available from late last year is potentially going to be viewed as the most obvious alternate to the electric newcomer, given it holds the same flagship status and is very likely set to be closest on price.

 If comparison is to be made, however, it’s likely there will more differences than similarities in how they operate and what they deliver.

They come closest in respect to power, and even then there’s no parity; the PHEV generating 30kW more than the big-bore diesel. When it comes to torque, the diesel wins easily, with a third as much again.

VW has yet to present economy and emissions figures for the PHEV, but it’s fair to assume the counts Porsche has discussed will be a fair indication. In which case … well, it cleans up against every diesel. Comprehensively. Which of course, is the whole point. Even though it meets latest Euro 6 requirements, and rarely puts out any black smoke even at start-up, a rated count of – cough, cough – 258 grams per 100km means that, even with the smog unseen, the V8 counts as a smutty thing.

Still, while a black mark, it’s hardly a killer blow in our market, not least when our Government has yet to initiate any particular emissions legislation. It’s not the cleanest new diesel, but at same token it’s far from being the dirtiest vehicle on our roads. You only need to follow any school bus or any light truck imported used from Japan to be reminded of that.

The prospect of the V8 being subbed out once the Touareg R hits the playing field has never been voiced by VW here and I doubt it’ll happen, for good reason that the latter has become an immediate hit since launch.

To say that this engine has imprinted on the buyer base is an understatement. It’s quite possibly the ultimate black hearted hero of the moment. 

The test car, at time of driving, the last of the First Edition models that comprised the initial shipment; every one of those was snapped up. Basically, all examples on the next boat were signed up when still at sea and there’s a growing waiting list.

The appeal is pretty obvious. Putting environmental concerns to one side, the spec of this twin-turbo engine is drool-inducingly impressive.

For one, it’s the most powerful Touareg engine ever; gruntier even than the first generation model’s flawed but fondly-remembered V10, developed at the behest of Ferdinand Piech to simultaneously elevate the diesel engine and the VW brand.

It’s come to this model with an illustrious heritage, having done time in the rich-lister Audi SQ7 and SQ8 and the Bentley Bentayga – where it took an electric supercharger. The lack of that latter element in the VW formula is no particular problem as it still emphatically from a different planet than the Touareg’s V6 that, in most powerful form, makes 100kW less power and 300Nm less torque. 

Those who bought into the First Edition did well. With a Black Pack trim – literally that, with every exterior element in that colour (and most of the interior, too) – it’s a smart-looking car and a smart buy, too. The premium it held over the regular version covered the cost of a 48-volt active roll stabilisation system that’s a $7500 cost-extra in the regular model. In addition to this, the First Edition also received a superb Dynaudio sound system. That’s also a pricey item, so effectively it came for free in this case.

The engine is the big pull. Quite literally. The appeal reveals easily; it’s smooth, refined and massively powerful; put your foot down and, no matter what pace you happen to be holding, it just surges forward with huge and growing momentum. In typical diesel style, the oomph emerges in considerable force at rev levels at which any performance petrol would still be in doze mode. Even at a steady 100kmh, the thing is typically showing around 1800rpm on the dial. There are quite a few numbers between there and the redline that possibly will never be visited much at all, if ever. Because there’s no need.

Ok, so it’d be stretching to say it's not wholly free from lag, in spite of the efforts of its clever dual turbo set-up. There is still a momentary hesitation, but once that breath is taken, though, the load of seamless stonk is truly impressive and bodes well for off-roading and towing. Anyone who buys one of these and doesn’t use it to haul something significant is wasting a tonne (well, two and bit tonnes) of talent.

What’s a bit unnerving, initially at least, is that there’s not a lot of noise when it goes into lout mode, at least until you activate the performance mode. That seems to introduce extra aural fireworks. But it’s not necessarily a true-life soundtrack. I suspect it has an acoustic enhancer that uses the stereo speakers. Leave it in the standard drive mode, though, and it is pretty quiet.

Economy suffers when you push the limits, of course, but it’s nothing like as thirsty as any petrol. Volkswagen claims an optimal 9.9 litres per 100km is possible, but I wasn’t at all unhappy seeing an average of ‘only’ 10.8L/100km from a week-long stint in which the vehicle was employed in a wide variety of driving duties, even a touch of off-roading. Nothing particularly strenuous, of course.

Putting almost 500km on the clock accounted for less half a tank consumed; nothing to do with a poorly calibrated gauge. This version runs a 90-litre fuel tank. According to the drive computer, it will deliver at least 1100km of range on a single tank. So you could cruise all day. 

About that. Cruising is what is does best, yet don’t estimate the talent: On occasion it feels even more agile to drive than the Audi Q7, which is supposedly the sportier model.

That active roll stabilisation system definitely has positive imprint on body roll, the air suspension that either firms or soften the ride, depending on what you want, is also a good thing and having 4Motion permanent four-wheel drive is an obvious plus. True, it’s not outright thrilling, but it does come across as a easily-controlled car, but not an outright dextrous one.  

Of course, that’s all written in context of its sheer size. In pure physical terms, this generation of Touareg large enough to be hulking, so it’s a big thing to put down a country road.

In that scenario, the steering also still feels a bit too light and distant for true entertainment; it needs room stop, too. The PHEV should be better, but so it should, given the pedigree it’ll bring. R-Line is all well and good, but nothing should surpass a real R.

Saying it’s happiest on big, wide, sweeping roads is perhaps not a criticism. The ride quality is more decent than you’ll find from the Audi equivalent, for instance. And being more laidback suits the overall personality. The combo of refinement, sledgehammer thump, quality, comfort and space mean that it's a decent choice for long journeys, and a deeply pleasant thing into which to climb every day. But it's not as agile, nor flickable, nor engaging as it might be. Call it composed.

The exterior styling - big, square of shoulder and jaw, and with that massive radiator grille and piercing lights – is lasting well, but it's the interior that’s the Touareg’s strongest aspect.

Quality levels in this model are exceptionally high, and even if if the overall design and layout might seem a bit stark and grey – because, well, that’s just the VW way - it's nonetheless a very pleasant place in which to spend time.

If you had to pick one outstanding aspect, it's that it is very welcoming to occupants. Front seat occupants haul themselves into big front armchairs. Those behind also enjoy decent comfort and lots of leg and headroom.  There's no seven-seat Touareg as yet, nor any sign of one on the horizon. Is that because VW doesn't want to pinch sales from the seven-seat Q7? Anyway, it does have a massive boot.

All Touaregs bring a huge amount of equipment to the table and all have the 15-inch touchscreen in the middle of the dash backed up by the 12.3-inch 'Active Info' display behind the wheel, which is your all-singing, all-dancing instrument panel.

The two displays are linked, although you can't slide, drag and drop items between them, but you can use the central display to setup the information that the instruments show you. You can also use it to adjust the seats, the stereo, the navigation, the climate control - virtually everything in fact. There are hardly any physical buttons. Yes, the system is a touch fiddly and thought-intensive at times, but it’s more logical than many.

The comfort, the car’s height and solidity, plus performance that feels brisk and muscular enough for almost any circumstance … well, there’s a lot going for this particular variant.

All in all, it very much reinforces that while diesel is slowly leaving the scene, it isn’t set to depart without reinforcing why it still has many merits.

Peugeot 2008 GT, Volkswagen T-Cross R-Line: From the clean scene

Compact crossovers are all the rage and there’s nothing wrong with Euro flair, so …

ONE can but rarely does, the other cannot and simply shouldn’t.

If you’re still confused by the difference between a sports utility and a crossover – and it’s understandable, as both types are going for that achingly trendy rugged and ever-so-slightly bulked look - then that’s a good a disparity as any.

Effectively, it comes down to the first type generally having an off-road ability whereas the others aren’t so much wannabes than never-weres …. presenting in two-wheel-drive in a way that just isn’t tailored for any kind of daily driving surface other than those created by man. They absolutely eschew any kind of off-road gumption, which is okay because you were never going to use it anyway.

The cars on test today are high achievers at the art of looking a touch terrain-trustworthy yet in a manner that relates clear desire to steer clear of icky dirt or grime.

If anything that ambience enhances probable appeal as perfect choices to become hatchback alternates for those seeking a sensible urban and occasionally open road choice with recognition that even all-wheel-drive mightn’t make a jot of difference in those environments.

There’s more going on here, of course. Almost all crossovers have become the Swiss Army knives of the car world through their clever packaging, but there’s no argument that can be a secondary consideration to at-wheel playfulness and how well they present at the kerbside.

In that respect, the two models here do seem to have a certain something more.

VOLKSWAGEN T-CROSS R-Line

Price: $43,490

Powertrain and economy: 1.5-litre four cylinder turbopetrol, 110kWkW/250Nm, 7-speed dual-clutch, FWD, combined economy 5.5 L/100km, CO2 126 g/km

Vital statistics: 4235mm long, 1782mm wide, 1584mm high, 2551mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 455 litres, 18-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Smart but sensible ambience, good ride, nice engine.

We don't like: Some interior plastics, stop/start abruptness.

THINKING small has been a careful process for Volkswagen; basically, it’s taken the best part of a decade for it to arrive at this car, the new baby of its sports utility/crossover family. 

The project started in 2012, when Wolfsburg’s designers created the Taigun concept; basically a quasi rockhopper based off the Up! City hatch. It was greenlit for sale by 2016, but obviously that never happened. After giving it more thought, VW determined the car would be too small. They’ve since junked the Up!, too.

It then started over, shifting focus to what now have, a larger but still tightly dimensioned derivative of the Polo hatchback. The Taigun nameplate hasn’t gone to waste, as it is being reused as a rebadged long-wheelbase T-Cross. But that’s only for the Indian market, so don’t hold hope for local introduction. 

The Cross delivers in 1.0-litre three-cylinder Life and Style formats which certainly sound like fun. Yet assuredly this 1.5-litre four-pot R-Line on test will also do brisk business; so many customers find it easy to buy into a flagship that seems tailored to deliver just that little bit extra verve and visual fizz. In respect to the latter, the R-Line is not as flamboyant as the limited-count 1.0-litre First Edition that’s been snapped by early birders. I wouldn’t be dismayed about that; the R-Line’s body kit embellishments aren’t as loud, yet they lend more coherence to an overall look which I suspect will be a major lure for buyers.

Sure, look at the T-Cross when it’s parked alongside the 2008 GT and there’s no argument which delivers the more drama; that Peugeot is a far more vivacious thing, not just from all exterior angles but also when you slip inside. 

At same token, though, it’s easy to imagine the VW won’t loss too much ground from being less immediately striking. Whether or not we should ever celebrate when a design approach is less likely to axe-split opinion is somewhat moot.

What is more relevant is that, though it’s clearly less outrageous, the T-Cross is hardly a weak design in its own right: All the cues that link it to a wider family spanning through T-Roc, Tiguan and Touareg are there; I quite like how it acknowledges their inspiration by being upright and just a touch square. There is some plastic cladding but it isn’t overdone, in overall shape and stance it very nicely and neatly done and, more importantly, by and large it evidences as class act in ambience.

The latter is important. Small crossovers can risk being considered cheap and generally nasty because of a perception they, and the cars they derive from, are often built down to a price. 

You can hardly sense that with the T-Cross; in large part because it’s derived from a hatch that has always aced on an aura of upmarket appeal but also this sub-sector has so risen in consumer popularity quite often the choices are made simply of impression of quality. In this instance, that is has much of the same dashboard and interior layout as the Polo is far from harmful. While you might only quibble about some of the interior plastics, but that’s really about it. 

Having the same 'MQB-A0' platform as the Polo, the same engines, and the same basic structure also strengthens the proposition. 

It's far roomier than some older small crossover models, with a decent 385-litre boot and good space in the back seats. You get some excellent front seats, the digital instrument screen looks classy and works well, and the central touchscreen is, generally, a model of simple and explicable menu layouts. It has rather handsome graphics, too.

Standard kit for a T-Roc includes a multi-function steering wheel, all-round electric windows, air conditioning, lane keeping assistant, forward collision alert with automated braking, stop-start, a blind spot monitor and LED daytime running lights. Quite a lot, then.

The R-Line upsizes the touchscreen and handily adds a reversing camera, adaptive cruise control, keyless access, digital instruments and a decent stereo system. The steering wheel integrates not only has buttons for the media controls but also for the cruise control, which in older VW’s has always been by stalks. That’s a good improvement that’ll start to transfer to other models. Also new is a wireless recharge pad for your phone; that’s good, but since you have to cable in the enable Apple CarPlay functionality it slighty smacks as a halfway. After all, your device will recharge off the US anyway. Better to to go the whole way and have wireless CarPlay and recharging, really.

The driving side of things is by large VW 101: It’s no hot hatch, of course, and less effervescent than the Peugeot when it comes to chassis balance and steering feel, but there’s a likeable honesty to the actions and it has an air of solid dependability. Those largish rims – everything but the base car runs on 18s - don't wreck the ride, and though it’s certainly not an expedition vehicle, it drives confidently on gravel and will likely not embarrass itself on a grassy field, assuming it’s not a sopping day and there’s minimum mud. 

I’m keen to try this car with the 1.0-litre, because it has an awesome reputation and it’s also potentially enough for this model anyway, but would also say that in isolation, the larger capacity unit on test is going to appeal for its broad torque, sharp throttle responses and pretty decent refinement. It also works comfortably with the seven-speed direct shift transmission that, again, is common to all versions.

PEUGEOT 2008 GT

Price: $45,990

Powertrain and economy: 1.2-litre turbo-petrol inline-three, 114kW/240Nm, 8-speed automatic, FWD, combined economy 6.1L/100km, CO2 138g/km.

Vital statistics: 4300mm long, 1550mm wide, 1530mm high, 2605mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 434 litres, 18-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Effervescent engine, 3D i-cockpit, creative styling.

We don't like: Driving position.

MUM and dad were average height, so too my sister. My brother? Short. So, I of course, have defied the sequence.

My tallness is not sufficient to ensure an NBA selection shortlist, but has definitely refined what I do in motorsport, which I’ve taken up at club level. Even if I had the skill set, the long legs and frame aspect ruled out single seaters.

Road cars aren’t so bad, but some are more challenging that others. For instance, the MX-5 roadster is a bit of tight fit when the top is up, but I’ll always make it work because the car is so good. 

Anyway, now to the 2008. It’s been around a while now, and we’ve met before on two previous occasions, so I knew what to expect when slipping into the driver’s seat. Basically, weirdness. All to do with the iCockpit layout, which features the dials set high on the dashboard. 

I’m sure it’s not a problem for an average-sized driver. And it’s clearly not one for Peugeot, because why else would they make it a signature of all its passenger product? It didn’t become an issue for Mrs B, who is rather less height advantaged than I am (and no, you can’t see the wedding photos), when she drove the car.

But it is a problem for me, and here’s why. The dinky and oddly shaped steering wheel has to be set low, otherwise the rim obscures the dials. When you're tall, that effectively asks for the wheel to place virtually in my lap, which makes for an awkward driving position that any amount of fiddling with the seat and wheel positioning just doesn’t seem to quite rectify. As I say, it’s not something everyone is irked by. I daresay a lot of people won't have a problem. And, just to reinforce, I didn’t find the car outright impossible to drive. But it often just felt awkward. So, I’d have to say it's well worth trying before you buy.

Funny thing is, the car itself is quite roomy and the seats are truly comfortable for someone of my height. Also, I’m also really quite impressed by the new instrument display in the redesigned format that’s among the key upgrade features arriving with the car’s big mid-life facelift.

The display has always been digital but now there’s a 3D effect would be easy to describe as a gimmick, but in reality, it works very well. It’s implemented by combining the 10-inch digital display with a similarly sized screen sitting a couple of centimetres further in front.

That second screen gets key information (speed, navigation, that sort of thing) beamed onto it from above, like an inverted head-up display, while the one behind also runs information. It’s not as complex as it sounds, looks utterly amazing and you don’t need special glasses. Also, there’s nothing else like it in the class nor, as far as I can tell, in any other production car. Though the much, much pricier Mercedes S-Class is promised to deliver something similar. As an option.

 Anyway, where it’s really effective is when delivering the various viewing modes, selected via a roller on the wheel. Go for ‘Driving’ and you get a 3D model of the 2008 within its lane. On either side are lines, which associate with the lane keep and highlight in orange if the car thinks you’re straying into danger. It’ll ultimately intervene at the wheel, this action reminding it’s meted “semi-autonomous driving capability.” Which means hands-off for a short period, but basically it really only suits motorway running.

There’s also a way of delivering the sat nav front and centre, and having the speedo tucked off to the side, plus ‘Personal’ modes that allow you to pick what you want to appear; like a trip computer beside the speed readout. You’re probably imagining there’s every chance of all this instrument screen interaction risks becoming a distraction and yet it really isn’t, in part because the logics are … um, logical.

Not everything else is. Far less so are the row of push-buttons below the centre screen, which all seem to have dual functions, the individual activations depending on how they’re touched. Or, it sometimes seemed, simply how they were looked at. 

Maybe that’s a bit too avant garde, but there are other stabs at achieving a standard of utter modernity that do pay off. One little tweak deserving credit comes with how it considers personal device interaction; in addition to a USB port, there’s another for USB-C, which is set to be the next big thing, yet is still ignored by most makers. The only other one I know of that is also doing this is … well, it’s Mercedes.

Overall, in respect to pure design effectiveness, the 2008 GT’s cabin it’s not as strong as the T-Cross’s, and neither is it as roomy – in the cabin proper, rear seat passengers won’t get the same lower leg space and might find it a touch constrained for head room, in the boot you’ll have to remove the rear parcel tray to fit anything too bulky (for me, it was a standard bbq gas bottle) - but it is rather more flairful. You’ll be more delighted to show it to others simply on that basis.

The 1.2-litre three-cylinder is now a core performer in small Peugeots, although the GT achieves a higher state of tune – so, an extra 18kW and 10Nm above standards - and achieves an eight-speed automatic rather than a six-speed.

It doesn’t seem to be overwhelmed by the extra cogs but can become a little busy; not so much in the ramp up from 50kmh to 100kmh but certainly when you’re buzzing the car down a fun road and running in Drive. The provision of paddle shifters behind the steering wheel is a not-so-subtle reminder that Peugeot’s expectation is for this kind of driving to be totally hands on. Certainly, it’s a better drive when you’re manually changing gears, having also put it into Sport mode. A function that also sharpens the throttle, weighs up the steering and makes the engine sound racier. All in all, in this level of engagement, it’s a proper little scamp and no end of fun. Not that secondary road driving is the only forte. Actually, it has a wide talent when it comes to driving, which might surprise because, relatively speaking, it is a small car. 

Yet it doesn't drive like one. It has very grown up manners especially in terms of damping and stability at speed and under braking. Body control through corners is also good, though the flipside is that the ride is a bit firm, it’s hardly disconcertingly ripply.

Assuming you’re comfortable enough with the driving position to feel wholly confident with the car. And sadly I’m not. I can see the benefit – for one, having such a small steering wheel means don't need to put in the same amount of input due to its size – and yet, it’s just not for me.

 Such a shame because it is, otherwise, a little charmer. C’est la vie, right?

VW T-Roc R-Line: Golden child crossover

First taste of this key small SUV comes in a premium serving sure to interest style (and badge)-conscious buyers.

Price:  $51,990.
Powertrain and performance:  2.0-litre four-cylinder DOHC turbocharged petrol engine; 140kW/4200-6000rpm, 320Nm/1500-4177rpm. All-wheel drive.
Vital statistics: Length 4234mm, height 1573mm, width 1992mm, wheelbase 2593mm. Luggage 392 litres. Wheels: 19-inch alloys with 225/40 R19 tyres.
We like: Chunky styling, seating comfort, handles better than you’d expect a crossover to.
We don’t like: Some interior plastics, rigid ride.

BE honest now: Who hasn’t felt a hankering over the past few years to take the wheel of a compact wannabe four-by-four with a countryside-ready stance yet none of the actual off-road gumption of a proper, actual, real SUV? 

Even if the customer queue stretches for kilometres more in literal than actual sense, perhaps the selection of ready-and-able candidate vehicles really now might if they were to be collected and lined up nose to tail.

Yet, as much as the crossover catalogue might seem to already be crammed to bursting, brands with ability to add another one or two into the mix are rushing to do just that.

Covid-19 notwithstanding, this sector is an automotive Klondike. Everyone who mines it seems to strike paydirt. 

Volkswagen is having two goes, with some fresh product they seem to so believe will suit consumers to a ‘T’ they’ve used that letter in the naming convention. (actually, that’s not the reason. The letter is to associate with the Touareg and Tiguan). 

Today’s test focuses of the larger of the two, the T-Roc, which the maker reckons will help sales grow from 6.4 million globally to 10.6 million in just 10 years. This car will sit alongside the smaller T-Cross, but don’t go looking for it quite yet. The baby is here but the slightly bigger bro is not. Well, not officially. Confused about what I’ve just said there? All will be explained.

The ‘Roc’ – from ‘rock’ and apparently to establish the car’s off-roading bone-fides (yeah, that’ll rattle Suzuki and Jeep … not) - is of course built on the modular transverse matrix (MQB) platform that underpins others of its ilk, from the Audi Q2 to the Skoda Kodiaq and Karoq. You might need to be a particular student of VW Group architecture application to also twig to a further DNA association.

Which is to … ? Well, the car that, despite the erosion caused on hatch interest by these crossovers, is still very vital to VW: The Golf. The T-Roc can claim DNA association not just to the Golf as we know it now but also the new one coming at the end of the year (or early in 2021). 

That’s not to suggest complete triplet-ship. The distinctions between the crossover and the road cars are diverse in detail, if less so in basic design and mechanical application. Still, familial links are so cemented and market trends being what they are it seems probable one will be examined as an alternate to the other.

Where to put your money? Well, there’s another twist to consider, and that’s to do with the T-Roc itself. When saying that this car doesn’t launch for another couple of months, I mean in its full NZ market spec. The scheduling is a reminder that this ‘latest’ arrival is also a late one. 

T-Roc has been in production for almost three years and, in fact, there’s a 150-strong colony here already. This comprises flagship R-Lines ordered by another right-hand drive market and snapped up by our distributor when they became surplus stock. The test car is the last of that lot, so its residency status is well sorted. However, getting more has proven a challenge to VW NZ. It seems the car has been so well received in other places we’ve been pushed down the queue. The perils of being small? Well, sometimes that works to advantage, too (for instance, our modest uptake of Touareg V8s has allowed us to achieve that car ahead of many larger countries).

The early arrivals deserve mention because they might well yet differ slightly to the incoming fully-accredited local market versions that were supposed to land next month but, on latest talk, might not now arrive until November, thanks of course to Covid interruption. Nothing major; but talk is that ‘ours’ could well have a more upmarket audio unit and perhaps a less plasticky trim.

What’s also important to note is that in addition to the 2.0-litre all-wheel-drive on test, the NZ range will include a pair of 1.5-litre front-drive Life and Style editions in a lower price positioning, at $39,990 and $44,990 respectively.

That’s a positive, too. It would not be fair to call the R-Line overly expensive, simply because there are others in its price level. For instance, Mazda’s CX-30 Limited is exactly lineball with this $51,990 VW. YEt it’s fair, surely, to suggest anything sitting above $50k tends to to be considered an almost premium purchasing experience.

Having basically handed in Hiroshima’s new baby just days before driving the T-Roc, it seemed to me the Mazda only has clear advantage on content, but would be beaten on spaciousness and have to concede a touch on performance – they’re all but lineball on power but VW’s engine has almost 70Nm more torque than CX-30’s 2.5-litre. 

You could quibble about the styling for ages; the VW is less daring and potentially less ‘modern’ in its look, but that’s not to say it loses appeal for it. If anything it’s a bit beefier with its flared arches and a wide grille, and there’s something more macho in its stance (regardless that it has just 2cm more ground clearance than a Golf). Those pronounced wheel arches and plastic cladding around the lower sections don’t seem false and it looks swollen in most of the right places, while the extra touches coming with R-Line - additional brightwork along the top of the plastic-clad sills, those anodised roof rails and the 19-inch alloys - add flair. Really, it’s aged quite well for a car that has been around in its home market for almost three years.

As you’d expect from VW there are plenty of safety and tech features, with a hefty focus on safety. So, Front Assist with city emergency braking and lane assist, adaptive cruise control, road sign display, blind spot monitor, park assist and a reversing camera all feature on the R-Line.

The design also delivers a useful amount of room for a family of five. The boot has enough space to swallow up bulky items though going all-wheel-drive clearly also erode capacity, with 392 litres’ boot space quoted for the R-line against 445 litres for the front drivers. Of course, you can drop the rear seats to create a significantly large cargo volume, though again it’s 1232 litres versus 1290. Throughout the rest of the interior there are several storage areas for placing oddments. 

Notwithstanding that detail change seems likely, the infotainment system as I saw it was very neat and is slick and intuitive to inputs. Crucially, it also supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and the USB ports for this are within easy reach at the base of the centre console.

An adjustment to the trim quality would be welcomed, though. The leather is very good and it ergonomically sound but there are hard surfaces and scratchy plastics, that, for me, don't fully reflect the price tag. For sure, those surfaces are wipe clean and durable, which is a good thing if you have kids, but overall VW could do well to see how Mazda has introduced much nicer surfaces to lend impression of a far more premium ambience.

Actually, you needn’t even go that far: As much as the T-Roc’s interior space and big boot could stand as good reasons to go for it over a Golf, the hatch in the here and now (and certainly, it seems, in its next execution) is better in terms of perceived quality. 

Curiously, they’re less far apart in respect to the driving position than I’d imagined they might be, in that the T-Roc’s is more car-like than SUV-like. So much so that those that like a higher, more commanding placement may be a little disappointed. However, this does make for a more relaxing and comfortable experience and enhances the sense that it is more fun to drive that you might initially give it credit for.

As good as the Golf? For the most part, yes. Even on a winding road, where you’d think it would simply have to feel feel more top-heavy, the T-Roc surprises in retaining plenty of composure. The well-judged steering allows you accurately choose a line through the bends. It’s not an overtly sporty car, but when you push it harder it doesn't get flustered.

The ride quality might not appeal to everybody, in that it’s a little on the firm side, even when avoiding the Sport mode that obviously reduces the damper yield. If you automatically think that a crossover means a plush ride, it’s out to demonstrate otherwise. In saying that, it is certainly not so rigid as to be unacceptable and you certainly won’t find any shortcoming with other elements, such as its very sure-footed traction. If anything, it is a ‘grower’, in that the deeper under its skin you get, the more rewarding it becomes. I’d put some of that down to that well-engineered feeling that Volkswagen imbues into its cars.

The top line engine has more than enough performance to cope with the daily commute and gets up to open road speed comfortably and quickly. In all honesty, the smaller unit en route might suit its role even more comfortably. Yet the 2.0-litre’s not going to disappoint easily, either. There’s more than enough torque to not only pull its mass along quite comfortably but to also ensure the seven-speed direct shift gearbox retains its decorum even when you find sudden need to hurry up the pace. On the other hand, it is also rather economical if you light-foot the throttle. 

VW is definitely a magnet brand for style-conscious buyers and those looking for looks, practicality and the latest tech in an urban four-wheel-drive (of sorts) are surely going to see plenty to like here, starting with the package’s sizing. If you think a Tiguan is too big, then the T-Roc might be for you, given it has the immediate advantage of being 252mm shorter, which – along with a tighter turning circle - makes it more manoeuvrable around town. It’s a better looking car, too.

Of course, as said, this is a very congested segment and even if you’re particularly wed to VW Group design and engineering approaches, it’s possible to shop for an alternate without leaving the broader family. The SEAT Arona and the Karoq, which play to a lower budget yet also build on the same underpinning, are equally practical and, in the Skoda’s case, slightly roomier. Alternately, you could await that new Golf – it does seem to be extremely swish. 

Or go electric? Ultimately, too, VW’s boots and all foray into battery-dedicated motoring is set to deliver a plug-in equivalent of sorts, in the form of the ID.4. But that’ll be a couple of years away yet.

 Meantime, there’s likelihood the T-Roc family might expand further, not to include the fatuous and climatically-inappropriate Cabriolet that’s already selling overseas but another model that outwardly seems a touch oxymoronic but will doubtless prove to be exactly to market taste. This being the R edition, which borrows all it go-fast gear from the Golf R; so a 220kW 2.0-litre mated to a DSG automatic transmission and 4Motion all-wheel drive, delivering 0-100kmh in under five seconds and a top speed of 250kmh. Grrrr.