Volkswagen T-roc
The T-roc is Volkswagen’s smallest, funkiest and most affordable SUV yet On sale December Price from £20,425
Design-focused, Golf-sized SUV
VOLKSWAGENS TEND TO be great box tickers – cars that appeal to your rational side rather than your emotional one. But with its latest SUV, the brand is hoping to show that it can do flair as well as functionality. Called the T-roc, the new model sits below the Tiguan and is priced from £20,425. That puts it in competition with the likes of the Nissan Qashqai and Peugeot 3008, as well as fellow Volkswagen Group SUVS such as the Audi Q2, Seat Ateca and Skoda Karoq.
To help it stand out in this busy marketplace, the T-roc has a more raked rear than most of its rivals, wheels of up to 19in (20in will follow), aluminium exterior detailing and a distinctive front end design with a new style of daytime running lights (at least on high-end models). But beyond the looks, how does it stack up?
WIDE RANGE
Like most of its immediate rivals, the T-roc is available with front or four-wheel drive, plus you can choose from 114bhp, 148bhp and 187bhp power outputs, whether you go for a petrol engine or a diesel. Because the T-roc will be bought mostly by private buyers, and because some people now fear buying a diesel due to worries about air quality and whether they’ll still be permitted to drive them in cities in the future, Volkswagen expects 80% of UK sales to be of petrol models.
Unfortunately, the only petrol engine that we were able to try on this occasion was in the flagship 187bhp 2.0-litre model, which is unlikely to sell in big numbers due to the fact that it costs more than £30,000. The 2.0 TSI engine is as smooth and strong as you’d expect but really isn’t necessary, if our experience of the cheaper 1.5-litre petrol engine – and even the entry-level 1.0 – in other VW models is anything to go by. The 1.5, in particular, is hugely impressive, combining effortless performance with fuel economy of more than 50mpg in real-world use in the Golf hatchback. Meanwhile, the 1.0 should be adequate if you mostly drive around town.
We also tried the 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine in the T-roc. This pulls well from low revs and is quiet at cruising speeds. However, it can be a bit grumbly around town and becomes downright noisy if you’ve got the optional DSG automatic gearbox and select Sport mode, because this causes the car to hold onto gears for longer, making the engine work harder. The T-roc whips up some wind noise at 70mph, too, although it isn’t overly intrusive. Precise and sweetly weighted controls make the T-roc an easy car to drive smoothly. It can even accelerate and brake itself in stop-start conditions if you specify the Traffic Jam Assist system. However, while it handles more
tautly than the Qashqai at higher speeds, you still have to put up with a fair bit of body roll in corners.
If you’re looking for a sporty-feeling SUV, our 2017 Small SUV of the Year, the Ateca, remains the one to go for, although the T-roc counters by being much better at soaking up bumps.
In addition, four-wheel-drive T-rocs come with Driver Profile Selection, which lets you choose from up to five driving modes to fine-tune the car to the conditions and your personal taste. However, in truth, the differences are subtle. This system is an option on front-wheel-drive cars.
STYLE VERSUS SUBSTANCE
Like the exterior, the interior of the T-roc is flashier than we’ve come to expect from Volkswagen, featuring body-coloured dashboard inserts and the option of super-slim ambient lighting strips.
But while it all looks good, the plastics are hard throughout the car and the top of the dashboard has a hollow feel. This is particularly strange when Volkswagen’s significantly cheaper Polo gets plush, soft-touch plastics. Of all the cars in the Volkswagen range, the Up city car is closest to the T-roc for tactile appeal.
More positively, the standard touchscreen infotainment system is the same responsive 8.0in unit as used in the Golf (a 9.2in unit is an option), and it’s been shifted up to the top of the dash in the T-roc so you can still keep half an eye on the road when using it.
Specify the optional Active Info Display and things move on another level, because this replaces the conventional instruments with a high-resolution screen that can present a vast amount of information in a very clear manner. It can even give you a full-width sat-nav map.
Part of the appeal of SUVS is their elevated seating, and although the T-roc’s driving position is only around 80mm higher than the Golf’s, it feels like a big difference. There’s space for four adults in the T-roc, too, but it’s tight for five and taller rear passengers may well find their knees touching the seat in front.
Instead, it’s the boot that appears to have been the priority; it has a 445-litre capacity, which is slightly bigger than the Qashqai’s, although the Ateca’s is bigger again. A height- adjustable floor lets you minimise the load lip and flatten out the step up to the rear seats when they’re folded flat, but even with all seats in place, the boot can take a couple of large suitcases with room left for additional bags.
EQUIPPED FOR FAMILY LIFE
At the moment, you can choose from SE, Design and SEL trim levels, while a cheaper
‘The T-roc blends distinctive looks with easy driving manners and a comfy ride’
S model and sportier-looking R-line will be added later, along with a Beats special edition with an upgraded stereo from the high-end audio company.
Equipment fitted as standard across the current range includes dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth, a DAB radio, adaptive cruise control, parking sensors and alloy wheels of at least 16in.
Volkswagen is also offering plenty of personalisation options. Design models, in particular, are available with a wide range of styling accessories, including twin chrome-effect trapezoid-exhaust surrounds, contrasting roof and door mirror colours, rear tinted glass and bumpers with silver-metallic underbody protection.
And it’s not just the range of trims that will be expanded; plans for a high-performance T-roc R model are under discussion, according to VW’S head of development, Frank Welsch. “If demand is there for a more powerful T-roc, we can satisfy it,” Welsch said. “There is a great deal of potential in the car that we can unlock if customers want it.”
The most likely engine for the T-roc R is the 306bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol unit from the Golf R hot hatch. This engine gives the Golf a 0-62mph time of 4.6sec when it’s paired with the optional automatic gearbox. The T-roc’s greater weight and less aerodynamic shape will make it slightly slower.
The T-roc is also likely to be sold in plug-in hybrid GTE form, with this giving an electriconly range of about 30 miles – more than enough for the average daily commute.
A DIFFERENT SORT OF VW
The T-roc is a likeable car, blending its distinctive looks with easy driving manners and a comfortable ride, and it has the potential to be even more appealing when powered by the smaller, more affordable petrol engines.
Just bear in mind that for the same sort of money you can have the sportier and more spacious Ateca, and that the T-roc doesn’t offer the interior quality advantages that you’d expect of a Volkswagen. Indeed, both the Ateca and Karoq actually feature classier plastics.
The T-roc really is a different sort of Volkswagen, then – one that sacrifices a little bit of substance for greater style. It’ll be interesting to see if SUV buyers decide that’s a fair trade.
SAYS Not the most rounded small SUV, but potentially one of the most appealing