Volkswagen has announced a new mid-range ‘Black Edition’ version of its T-Cross compact SUV that comes in at just over £21,000. Based on the mid-range SE model, the newcomer gets some extra equipment and styling details designed to give the car a more “upmarket” look.

The Black Edition is marked out by its black roof rails and door mirrors, as well as black trim on the front grille and bumper, plus tinted glass at the rear. That’s in addition to the 17-inch ‘Manila Black’ diamond-turned alloy wheels and LED headlights, which replace the SE’s halogen lights and ‘Clayton’ alloy wheels.

Inside, the black theme continues with high-gloss black and platinum grey decorative dashboard inserts, along with sports comfort seats with black upholstery. There are also black carpet mats thrown in for those in the front and rear, while the driver benefits from front and rear parking sensors.

Volkswagen T-Cross Black Edition

That’s all in addition to the standard equipment that usually features on SE models, including adaptive cruise control, air conditioning and automatic windscreen wipers. However, customers who want more can upgrade with a 300-watt Beats sound system or two-zone climate control. Customers who want more technology can also specify the Digital Cockpit instrument cluster that provides a customisable display of all car’s vital stats.

And those who want to customise their car get to play with the whole range of paint jobs available to T-Cross customers. As befits the name, the standard colour is Urano Grey, but drivers have a choice of nine hues to pick from, including the more outlandish Makena Turquoise and Energetic Orange. Deep Black Pearl is also available for those who want the full blackout look.

There’s also a choice of 1-litre petrol engines on offer, with customers getting the choice of two power outputs. The £21,035 starting price gets you the 94 bhp three-cylinder engine, which comes with a five-speed manual gearbox, but customers can have a 108 bhp version of the same engine, which comes with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. However, buyers can opt for a seven-speed automatic transmission if they choose the more potent engine.

“You can’t help but love the T-Cross – it’s got dinky dimensions but a big personality, city-friendly agility and family-friendly practicality, all in a small but tough compact SUV package,” said Claire Haynes, Volkswagen UK’s product manager for the T-Cross small SUV. “With extra technology, style and convenience, the T-Cross Black Edition builds on three of the model’s key strengths to create a truly impressive car.”

Gallery: 2021 Volkswagen T-Cross Black Edition