You’ll be converted
With its smooth drive and impressive amount of kit, IAN DONALDSON says the T-Roc will turn your head
IT’S possible to make an open and shut case for the new convertible Volkswagen T-Roc – depending on what you want from your car.
True, chopping the metal roof off means you’re losing space in the boot and back seat because the ragtop needs somewhere to go when folded down.
But, if you’re the right sort of T-Roc Cabriolet buyer, that won’t matter a hoot.
Sun up, roof down and you’re in heaven. Even popping to the shops lightens the spirits.
With the optional (£330) mesh wind deflector in place behind you there’s precious little hair ruffling even at a motorway canter and with it down (ditto the windows), a gentler pace in full sun is a life-enhancing experience.
A cloudy day needn’t matter too much either. The hood lifts and folds in seconds with the prod of a button and can be operated at up to 19mph – making you feel opulent in the process.
Ask the heater to warm the nether regions and going topless in winter sun sounds seductively promising.
You may feel Volkswagen is being brave in producing a convertible with SUV genes in its make up – Range Rover tried the same trick with the Evoque but that version didn’t last long.
The VW brought words like “beautiful” and “gorgeous” from a lady in the car park as she slipped from her Ford Focus cabriolet. The T-Roc is firmly on her shopping list for its replacement. The interior is well put together and logically set out for an aspirational motor that costs from £27,410.
That will get you a T-Roc Cabriolet with a 1.0-litre, 113bhp petrol engine and six-speed manual gearbox.
This particular car’s 1.5-litre, 150PS petrol unit comes in from £29,185 and you can spend £34,365 on a rangetopping auto version in R-Line trim.
There’s lots of kit as standard on the £3720 less expensive Design versions, including climate control, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, six-speaker sound system and satellite navigation.
All T-Roc Cabriolets share a boot smaller than their fixed-roof siblings but its still practical 280 litres of space can be enlarged by folding the rear seats.
The drive offers smooth steering and a delightful manual gearchange. Performance from the 1.5 TSI is a maximum speed of 127mph and a 0-62mph dash time of 9.6 seconds. Official fuel economy is rated at 42.8 to the gallon and emissions are 150g/km.
We bettered that and saw a dash readout of 47.7mpg after several hundred miles of not-always relaxed progress. That will put a smile on the face of some owners in the same way a sunny day does for others.