So you’re considering a T-Cross? Assuming you’ve already decided upon a compact SUV, what makes the baby VeeDub stand out in a crowded sector? Actually very little. The Volkswagen is the sensible choice, so it doesn’t try to be anything that it’s not. The styling is inoffensive but hardly attention grabbing whilst the drive is refined if a tad uninspiring – this is not a car that wants to be hustled along.

What you do get is an eminently practical car that feels solidly put together with a few neat touches that elevate it above being *just* the practical choice.

The interior is surprisingly spacious and could comfortably accommodate four six footers. The rear bench seat also slides to expand either passenger or load space – a unique selling point in this sector.

The infotainment system is bright, sleek and one of the best I’ve used – there’s also an app to download that expands the car’s connective capabilities – whilst the whole dash is treated to ambient night lighting that gives the T-Cross a move upmarket feel after dark.

There are flaws, though. Anyone who has read any reviews about the Cross will have heard tell of the poor quality plastics used throughout. I can confirm they are every bit as woeful as described and when you’re potentially spending Golf money it does feel particularly miserly to be confronted with a sea of scratchy plastics. Not even the key touch points have been treated to something a little more tactile.

VW have made a decent fist of keeping the 3 cylinder engine smooth and refined. At town speeds it is so quiet that you barely notice when it shuts down at traffic lights. It is noisier under heavy load, though. It’s not exactly an unpleasant sound, but it does jar when the rest of the driving experience is wrapped in cotton wool.

So should you get one? It’s certainly the sensible choice. It would just be nice if the sensible choice weren’t quite so ... beige.

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