Are you ready to Roc?
Volkswagen’s new T-Roc is simply rock ’ n’ roll. with its coupe- like styling and bright, metallic exterior with contrasting black roof, mirrors, pillars and rails, it’s a stand-out fun and funky hatchback. It looks the part for leisure and holidays as well as daily tasks such as the school run and shopping. good visibility and a higher-thannormal driving position are a boon.
with 24 colour combinations, it seats up to five and is dubbed a ‘small sUV’ or compact crossover. Vw reckons over the next decade, global sales in this sector will soar from 6.4 million to 10.6 million. about eight in ten of those sold in Britain are expected to be petrol.
The buzzy car I drove was the sprightly, but smooth, 150Ps 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder TsI evo petrol, linked to an engaging and slick six-speed manual gearbox.
It’s nimble and a delight to drive around town, and has plenty of oomph when you want it, with acceleration from rest to 62 mph in 8.3 seconds, and a top speed of 127 mph. averaging 53.3 mpg with Co2 emissions of 120g/km, it has a top five-star safety rating with aids such as driver fatigue detection, lane assist — and it brakes automatically if it senses pedestrians ahead. There’s loads of room in the back for shopping — extending from 445 litres of space to 1,290 litres if you pop the rear seats down — and there’s a handy hatch from the boot for skis if needed. There are five trim levels — s, se, Design, sel and R-line — with the se predicted to be the biggest seller. My car in Design trim had a basic on-the-road list price of £22,900, but nearly £5,000 of extras took that up to £27,455. a frugal three-cylinder 1-litre and a 2-litre petrol engine (with a four-wheel-drive option) are available, along with 1.6-litre and 2-litre diesel options. There’s ample scope for personalisation — you can configure yours online. But surprisingly, the interior plastics look and feel a tad cheap.