This is the new 2023 facelift to the Volkswagen T-Cross—Caught testing

The Volkswagen T-Cross came to the Philippines in 2021, with a 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated gasoline motor, a capable infotainment system, energetic styling, and a price tag fitting for the model’s proliferation in the Philippine market. 

After a while, VW Philippines steadily increased the base price of the T-Cross until only the top-spec trim remained with the AID gauge cluster included in the package. The T-Cross cemented itself as one of Volkswagen’s best-sellers in the lineup for its professional yet youthful styling and wide range of bright colors. 

Things are looking good, at least from the perspective of European sources. Autoexpress reported on a spied facelift of the updated subcompact crossover from VW. The front fascia gets an update that’s more in line with VW’s other modern crossovers, with headlights that look less square and more sleek. The front bumper still picks up similar design cues to the T-Cross we have currently but with a few edits similar to the fascia of the model, and that’s intentional. Sources report that there is a little bit of camouflage on this test mule that mimics the current generation's bumper. Viewed from the side, you may notice that the front bumper extends a little bit further than our current-gen T-Cross, making the car look bigger and, dare we say, a little bit sportier. 

The rear of the crossover features the same joined taillights as its predecessor, but with a new pattern in the main position lights. VW has given the T-Cross some LEDs in a diagonal orientation, though it’s not totally bare as there’s some camo that covers the wraparound section of the taillights, so we’re not getting the full picture just yet. The spy shots were also captured in the daytime, so there is no way to see whether VW lit up the middle bar, which is a design feature we would have liked to see, but we feel that it is unlikely to pop up in this new facelift. 

As for the engine options, the Philippines gets a naturally aspirated motor, but Europe's current-generation T-Cross comes with a slew of engine options that make us a bit jealous. These include a 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbo engine and a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbo engine with more torque and power than what we get in the naturally-aspirated 1.5-liter gasoline engine. Whether or not Volkswagen Philippines has plans to give the T-Cross a bump in power remains to be seen, but we certainly hope that more exciting engines are in the T-Cross' future. 

Whether or not VW Philippines plans to bring in the updated T-Cross this year remains to be seen. New colors for the T-Cross were announced for the 2023 model year, so it seems a little unlikely that the model will come anytime soon, but the chances for a 2024 model year facelift to come to the Philippines seem more within the realm of possibility.