Review: VW T-Roc

T-Roc sounds a bit like a hip-hop star or something, but the reality is another in the long line of compact SUVs. It’s a sector that just keeps growing, so VW figured it needed to plug a perceived gap below the mid-size Tiguan.

It has that big VW grille and is based on the MQB platform, that modular unit that underpins so many VW products. That makes it sound humdrum, but the styling is anything but. We think it has a bit of the crossover, a bit of the coupe about it, and in a crowded market that ability to stand out may well do it favours.

Under the bonnet there is the choice of three petrol engines, from the 113bhp 1.0-litre triple, to the 2.0-litre with 187bhp. All the engines are turbocharged, much like the diesels, which are a 1.6-litre with 113bhp and a pair of 2.0-litres with 147bhp or 187bhp. Diesel or petrol, the power outputs align.

The top models, with 187bhp, come with four-wheel drive and a seven-speed auto transmission but otherwise it’s two-wheel drive apart from the other 2.0-litre diesel, and the auto is an option.

The cars we drove were all in the top trim, T-Roc Sports with the top petrol engine – VW seemed less keen for some reason to show us the diesel engined versions. The 2.0 TSI model is a corker though. The power is smooth, quiet and plentiful and comes pouring through the DSG transmission – best in Normal mode - in an effortless flood.

While that’s grand, the surprise was how well the T-Roc handled. The platform feels really stiff, which has allowed some slightly softer suspension, so there’s a delightful and controlled suppleness to the handling and ride. It grips like crazy, stays flat through the turns and you can get the power down early and hard.

VW have perhaps playfully called this the GTI of the SUV class, but actually it has some performance to back that up. This is seriously fun to drive, way beyond what you’d expect from most SUVs.

Part of the attraction of this SUV is the degree of personalization you can indulge in, with 24 colour combinations in total and a raft of different colours for the interior trim. There is also an Active Info Display which is a configurable digital display instead of a normal instrument panel. You can have it showing what you want, and it works well and matches the 8in fully-loaded infotainment screen in the middle of the fascia.

Materials feel hard but of good quality, a move partly engendered by VW finding that younger drivers don’t demand that soft-touch plastic, they want quality, hard or soft. Build quality seems top notch with tiny gaps and real precision in the design and assembly. It’s not quite Audi but it’s closing in. There’s reasonable space too, front and rear, and in the boot, so there’s practicality to go with the fun.