Order books for the second-generation Volkswagen T-Roc are about to open in the UK, with prices starting from £31,620.
The new version of the hugely popular model brings a bold new look and a completely overhauled interior. Later this year, it will also gain a hybrid drivetrain that will be rolled out across the Volkswagen line-up.
The latest version of the Golf-based crossover – of which more than two million examples have been sold since its 2017 launch – is set to be the final new combustion-powered car that Volkswagen launches. All subsequent models are due to be exclusively battery-powered if the market conditions are right.
The Mk2 T-Roc is 120mm longer than its predecessor, at 4373mm, making it a close match for rivals including the Toyota C-HR, Mazda CX-30 and Kia Niro.
The intention is that it has a more distinct character than the previous generation to differentiate it more obviously from the Golf, explained designer Stefan Wallburg.
“The T-Roc has a special identity of being more ‘lifestyle’ – a bit more cool and, I would say, more rugged and powerful, a bit more emotional. The Golf is more of a calm guy,” he told Autocar.
Proportionally, it stays true to the coupé-esque silhouette of the Mk1 T-Roc, but it has been brought into line with Volkswagen's new-era design language by way of wraparound light bars at each end and a new face that matches the Passat and Tiguan. It also gets a suite of bold new colour schemes and wheel designs – now up to 20in in diameter.
Currently, the T-Roc is available with a familiar powertrain offering: 1.5-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder mild hybrids producing 114bhp and 148bhp.
A meatier 2.0-litre mild-hybrid petrol will be added later this year in the range-topping four-wheel-drive variant.
All versions come with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
More notable will be the introduction of a new full hybrid (HEV) powertrain – a first for Volkswagen. This is understood to be similar to Toyota’s ‘self-charging’ system, with a petrol engine working in tandem with a small electric motor for reduced emissions and optimised fuel economy.
Precise details of this new system remain secret, but it will be offered initially with either 134bhp or 168bhp and up to 226lb ft of torque.
The electric motor will be powered by a battery of unspecified capacity under the back seat, and while Volkswagen hasn't said how far it will go with the engine off, one engineer told Autocar it will be “more than a few metres”, suggesting the potential for short-distance, low-speed electric running.
The new T-Roc will be the only model based on the Volkswagen Group’s latest MEB Evo platform not to come with a plug-in hybrid option, but CEO Thomas Schäfer told Autocar that there is potential for the Golf eHybrid’s powertrain – which offers around 80 miles of electric-only range – to be added in, just as the T-Roc’s HEV system could eventually power other models.
He said: “For now, we’re lucky, because we have renewed all of our top combustion-engined vehicles: Golf, Passat, Tiguan, Tayron and now T-Roc. The first four are offered with PHEVs or mild hybrids and now this one with HEV. The platform can do it all. We can introduce it as we like.”
On current planning, the new T-Roc will be the final new combustion model Volkswagen launches, but Schäfer said the firm’s powertrain strategy is flexible, meaning more could follow.
“Let’s see,” he said when asked if all future unveilings will be electric. “For now, [the T-Roc] is the final totally new vehicle that we will put on a new platform on the combustion side. But with everything that’s changing around us, when you look at the EU… Will there be an end of combustion engines in 2035, yes or no? And what are the thresholds on the way? Customers will decide, and then if the demand is there, you will have to think about new vehicles, but for now there is no plan.”
Inside, the T-Roc matches the Tiguan and Golf with a 10in digital instrument display, a 12.9in infotainment touchscreen, a head-up display and a healthy smattering of physical controls, including Volkswagen’s new multifunction digital rotary dial in the centre console, which can adjust the drive mode, audio volume or interior settings.
As part of Volkswagen’s ongoing drive to enhance perceptions of its interiors, there has also been a focus on improving “the quality and how it mates together”, said Wallburg. “There are no big gaps: everything is seamless.”
This emphasis extends to making the car as intuitive to operate as possible, added Wallburg: “Another ‘quality’ in our thinking is to make it a bit more understandable by using design elements. To make it more understandable for the customer, you see something and understand it automatically. This is something we want to focus on.”
The T-Roc will be launched with a choice of four trim levels – base, Life, Style and R-Line – with various options and packages available on top.
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And people think BEVs are pricey, the starting price is barely lower than a Kia EV3.
Positive step from VW to focus on interior quality and build, it was a big part of their identity in the the 90's and 00's which brought much success. The outside is less so great, but again I see positive signs from new ground up cars which are around the corner. Let's not forget the Golf MK 7 and 7.5 was not that long ago and is good as a VW ever built.