A DIESEL engine is being added to the Volkswagen T-Cross line up to broaden the compact SUV's appeal to those with a preference for oil burners.

It's a 1.6-litre TDI engine developing 95ps and is also used in the Polo supermini.

With either a five-speed manual transmission or seven-speed DSG semi-automatic gearbox the T-Cross diesel is priced from £21,240 in bottom but one SE trim and tops out at £26,740 in R-Line grade with the DSG box.

Mid-grade SE L versions cost from £23,430 for the manual and £24,840 for the DSG - a premium of almost £2,000 over the petrol models.

That said, the diesel does offer significantly better fuel economy - we averaged more than 61 to the gallon from the manual and 50.1mpg from the DSG - which was almost smack on the official 50.9mpg for the DSG and bettered the 52.9 of the manual by some margin.

Compared to the 1.0-litre TSI petrol VW fits to the T-Cross in 95 and 115ps power outputs that's a real world economy improvement in the region of 20-plus per cent.

However, the diesel engine is a little lacklustre at lower revs but once it's up and running there is no issue.

Performance figures are0 to 60 in 11.9 seconds with a top speed of 111mph for the manual and a maximum of 112mph with an acceleration time of 12.5 seconds for the DSG. Emissions for both are 110g/km.

In reality those are similar to the petrol versions although the higher powered 115ps TSI is slightly livelier.

Both the manual and DSG transmissions on the diesel T-Cross were smooth through the box, although there were no paddle shifters on the automatic which probably would have helped.

Nevertheless, both are well equipped and pound for pound are competitive in a sector where the slump in diesel sales has not been as marked.

The manual T-Cross diesel we tried was in SE trim which comes fairly well equipped with adaptive cruise control, city emergency braking and full smartphone compatibility as standard - although sat nav and VW's Car-Net connectivity system was a £725 extra.

The nav set up is standard on SEL as are LED headlights and upgraded upholstery.

Luggage and fuel tank capacity are the same as all versions of the T-Cross ranging from 385 to 455 litres of boot space - the rear seat slides - to a maximum of 1,281 litres. The fuel tank is nine gallons.

The T-Cross is front-wheel-drive only and aimed more at urban buyers rather than those who need an SUV with 4x4 ability and since its launch earlier in the summer it has already established itself alongside VW's other SUVs such as the T-Roc and Tiguan.

In the VW line up the T-Cross sits between the Polo and T-Roc in size and is styled very much in line with the other SUVs in the company's range.

For those who cover greater mileage, the diesel broadens the T-Cross' appeal and although the petrol engines are likely to be the most popular the greater economy is likely to be quite compelling.