More show than go
Compact SUV ticks the sporty looks box for those who don’t raw speed
Sensible. Often it’s the primary motivation behind buying a car. Getting from A to B without fanfare or fuss ticks the box for many buyers. Yet a lot of Australians sit at bookends. There’s also a strong contingent who love to drive and are happy to invest in performance models of all genres.
Volkswagen taps into the sporty market with its R range.
These variants are for those chasing raw speed, agility and overall dexterity. They also need deep pockets.
Which is part of the reason why there are also the R-Line variants … these are more show than go. Those who like the look of the halo models can save some serious money by opting for the sheep in wolves clothing – in the case of our latest test vehicle, the VW T-Roc R-Line is about $14k less than its fire-breathing brethren.
WHAT DO YOU GET?
Your basement T-Roc CityLife starts from about $38,000 drive-away. Currently there are model year 2023 deals on all variants which shaves $1000 off the three-pronged range.
The R-Line represents a hefty step forward in looks, gear and price, with $52,990 drive-away delivering the athletic exterior and interior treatment, Nappa leather trimmed front bucket seats, an eight-inch touchscreen as well as all-wheel drive and sports suspension.
Metallic grey, red, blue, silver, pearlescent black paint options add at least $700, while there are also twotone options with a black roof.
Our test car was bolstered by a $2900 Style package which delivers an array of nice kit, including 19-inch alloys, Beats stereo, adaptive chassis control, keyless entry and pushbutton start and wireless connection to smartphone mirroring apps.
The electric tailgate function adds a further $600, while a panoramic sunroof is $2000.
That meant our sample T-Roc was closer to $58,655 once in traffic.
Once you are paying that sort of coin, some may find the current $64,990 deal for the fully-fledged ‘R’ difficult to resist.
HOW WAS THE DRIVE?
Fast looks don’t translate on the road. From standstill to 100km/h the RLine does the job in 7.2 seconds, far more sedate than the sub-five seconds that can be achieved by the range-topping model.
Overall composure is one of the strong points and those with no need for straight line muscle flexing will appreciate confident cornering and all-wheel drive grip.
Only nasty ruts like potholes and railway lines upset the ride and the four-cylinder turbo engine hardly works at 100km/h.
The torque sweet spot is hit relatively low in the rev range which means steady power delivery and linear gear changes. The dual-clutch automatic shifted nicely on test and there is the option for manual-style changes courtesy of steering wheel mounted paddles.
A large digital cockpit offers the driver a raft of options to display satnav, trip computer, speed and tacho information.
Running on premium unleaded, our experience saw the T-Roc achieve close to the official Volkswagen consumption figure of 7.3L/100km. On the highway it averaged 6.4L.
All-wheel drive does contribute to extra weight and also robs some of the boot space compared to the standard T-Roc. During a road trip we only managed one large suitcase and a couple of soft bags before having to use the back seat.
WOULD YOU BUY ONE?
KEL: When we drove the R version last year I was immediately sold. But the price-tag of more than $65k remains a stumbling block. Despite the nice sound I really don’t need the performance of the go-fast version and the R-Line is a nice compromise. This is a more palliative price with similar looks.
GRANT: While the initial sticker price looks appealing, the key issue would be optional extras. Tick all the luxury boxes and you get within $6000 of the R. Personally, I’d wait and save the extra money to take the fullyfledged version for more daily driving fun.