Review: Volkswagen T-Roc

Volkswagen’s T-Roc SUV has been around since 2017 with the revised model tested here unveiled in early 2022.

It joins a long line of SUVs in the Volkswagen stable - nine and counting - with the bodystyle accounting for more than 40 per cent of VW sales in 2021. To put that into context the total sales of the marque in the UK in 2022 was 131,850.

T-Roc is based on the MQB platform like the Golf and a host of other VW Group vehicles. It is 49mm shorter, 30mm wider and 82mm taller than the Golf but has a 17 per cent bigger boot at 445 litres or 1,290 litres with the seats folded.

It’s an ideal choice if you love the refinement and reliability of a Golf but just need a bit of extra room and road presence.

It looks good and in our week-long test proved itself to be a great little car to live with - even making it on to my co-driver’s list of cars he would be willing to fork out for. Just to be clear, it’s not a very long list, so that says a lot.

One real selling point of any SUV is the raised seat height which gives better all-round visibility. The T-Roc isn’t too high but enough so that it makes a difference.

Interior space for five adults is more than adequate and the boot is larger than others in the class.

The seats are comfortable and the cabin ambience is high with good quality materials and enough touches of chrome to break up the dark materials.

There are five engines to choose from. The range starts at the 1.0 TSI 110 is a one-litre, three-cylinder unit with 109bhp. We drove the more powerful 1.5 TSI 150 with 148bhp.

It’s quick and the official figure for the 0-60mph sprint is a sprightly 8.3sec. Overtaking is straightforward, smooth and quiet.

Trim levels mirror those of other members of the VW family: Life, Style and the more sporty looking R-Line on test here.

Despite its stiffer suspension the ride in the R-Line is comfortable. Our test car was fitted with the optional dynamic chassis control with four settings: sport, comfort, normal and individual but it is a pricey £1,105 and didn’t make a great deal of difference when we tried it out.

Steering is well-weighted and responsive whether around town or on the open road. Included with R-Line and an option on lesser trims is the driver profile select which alters the weight of the steering depending on speed.

I’ve long been a fan of VW’s manual gearbox not so much the seven-speed DSG which is not as quick off the mark when picking up speed.

Inside the cabin you’ll find a plethora of touch sensitive buttons which I, for one, find unnecessarily fiddly and annoying to use - the curse of the digital revolution I suppose.

Once you master the interface though, the 10.25in instrument panel is clear and the eight inch infotainment touchscreen does just about everything you can think of - and more besides.

Volkswagen T-Roc

Price £ 34,575 (£39,615 as tested)

Engine: 1.5 TSI 150

Power: 148bhp

Torque: 184lb/ft

Transmission: seven speed DSG

Top speed: 128mph

0-62mph: 8.3 seconds

Economy:4 6.3mpg

CO 2 emissions:138g/km