WITHOUT any hesitation Volkswagen admits its new T-Cross compact SUV is targeting the town and not the country.

It's front-wheel-drive, initially is powered only by petrol engines and is right on trend for younger drivers.

Prices start from £16,995 for a 95ps 1.0-litre three cylinder version in S trim with a five speed manual transmission and top out at £25,055 for a high specification R-Line T-Cross powered by the same engine but boosted to 115ps and with a seven-speed dual clutch semi-automatic box.

In between are six other models in SE and SEL trim priced from £18,805 and a manual R-Line which costs from £23,555.

Both engines suit the T-Cross well - although they need to be worked if fun is wanted - and performance figures are 0 to 60 in 11.2 seconds for the lower powered T-Cross and 10.2 for the 115ps either as a six-speed manual or the DSG auto.

The higher powered manual configuration is likely to be the set up of choice and is priced from £19,555 in SE trim and although the DSG box is nicely refined it costs an extra £1,500.

Fuel economy from both manual versions of the T-Cross is excellent with both averaging around 50 to the gallon on our runs - and that's ahead of the official figures of 48.6mpg for the 95ps model and 48.2 for the 115.

Emissions are rated at 112g/km for both with the exception of the R-Line manual which comes in at 115g/km because of its larger 18-inch wheels.

With the DSG box the T-Cross has an official fuel figure of 45.6 to the gallon and we saw an average of 44.9.

While sat nav is not a standard feature until SEL grade - and those start from £21,665 - all versions of the T-Cross with a full set of safety systems including automatic emergency call.

Where the T-Cross scores is with its clever packaging which includes a sliding rear seat that allows boot capacity to vary from 385 litres to a class leading 455 litres of space - and that's in a car that is just two inches longer than a Polo.

Fold down the rear seats and more than 1,200 litres of space is available.

For a compact SUV the T-Cross is roomy inside, well finished all round and with the rear seats full back there is plenty of space on board.

Connectivity on the cars we tried included VW's Car-Net system which allows for full smartphone compatibility and there are also USB ports front and rear.

From the outside, the T-Cross follows the same styling pattern as VW's other SUVs but at the back is set off with a reflective strip across the tailgate which gives the car a classy look from behind.

On top of that, there are different finishes available for the dash covering, a range of smart paint jobs and contrasting wheel colours.

The cars we sampled also came with VW's very clear Active Info Display instrument panel which is not only configurable in a number of ways but also so easy to read.

All in all it is a very good looking car and fits in well as the baby of the Volkswagen SUV line up with the T-Roc, Tiguan and Touareg as the larger models.

While all those are available with four-wheel-drive that is something that's largely unnecessary in the compact market and its absence won't tarnish the appeal of the T-Cross.

It's right on the money, stylish and very capable and well set to become a key player in the VW stable - a city slicker for the new generation of SUV driver.