Volkswagen T-Roc
New from £31,180 / £226 p/m
Is the Volkswagen T-Roc SUV a good car?
Read our expert review
Words by: Dan Trent
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In a previous automotive age the VW Golf was arguably ‘peak car’ for its combination of right-sizing, build quality and classless appeal. That role has been assumed by the T-Roc, which is itself built on the same foundations as the Golf but with a more fashionable SUV stance. The original was still selling well nearly a decade after its launch and this new one hopes to keep the momentum going, with funkier looks, improved tech and more space. The full hybrid versions can’t come soon enough, though.
"Green Rating
True, the T-Roc as tested here doesn’t have much electrification but full hybrids are on the way and the Portuguese factory where it’s built is described by VW as a flagship site in its Zero Impact Factory programme. Since 2010 VW says the factory has reduced the environmental impact of each car built there by 60 per cent through a range of measures including geothermal power, improved efficiency, a new paintshop and digitally powered energy management. At a corporate level VW is one of the better brands for environmental accountability and its wide-ranging efforts on recycled materials, sustainable energy and training its staff.
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Running costs for a Volkswagen T-Roc
<p style="margin: 0cm">Room for improvement here for the fact at the time of writing the T-Roc range is based around two mildly electrified petrol-engined options that do OK for real-world efficiency but won’t score you the big wins on emissions-based taxation, whether you’re a private orcompany buyer. That improvement is coming in the shape of hybrids with a greater proportion of electrification for better results across the board, at which point we can reconsider this score.<br></p>
Reliability of a Volkswagen T-Roc
<p style="margin: 0cm">Volkswagen is the master of spreading the huge costs of developing cars and engine tech across the many and various brands in its portfolio. As such the investment in engineering is typically impressive, though recent models have suffered glitches with tech like infotainment. The system in this new T-Roc is a whole new generation, so hopefully those issues have been addressed.</p>
Safety for a Volkswagen T-Roc
<p style="margin: 0cm">Safety technology and driver assistance tech has come on leaps and bounds in recent years but not all of it necessarily works as advertised, and can be more irritation than benefit. Credit to the T-Roc for the fact it’s got all the latest tech like automatic braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection, blind spot alerts and a neat ‘exit assist’ that triggers if you’re about to open your door into passing traffic and more for the fact that stuff we usually turn off like lane-keeping and speed limit alerts were left on for the duration of our drive.</p>
How comfortable is the Volkswagen T-Roc
<p style="margin: 0cm">A point deducted for the pointlessly hard Sports Suspension on the R-Line version we tested, the bone-shaking ride quality as pointless as it was annoying given this isn’t in the slightest a sporty car. We’ll look to test another example with the standard set-up or fancier adjustable suspension as soon as possible to see if does any better. This lack of refinement in our test car was doubly annoying for the fact comfort is otherwise very good in the T-Roc, or at least is for the driver and front seat passenger. It’s a little tighter in the back than we’d like, especially for a car that presents as quite sizeable from the outside, the dark interior of our test car not helping the sense of claustrophobia in the back. Call us old-fashioned but a Golf still makes better use of the available space and costs quite a bit less, while family buyers might be better served by the bigger but admittedly more expensive Tiguan. <br></p>
Features of the Volkswagen T-Roc
<p style="margin: 0cm">We’re glad VW has faced up to the negative feedback from owners and reviewers for its fiddly ‘haptic’ touch-sensitive controls and reintroduced proper buttons on the steering wheel and even a prominent volume knob on the centre console. Pushing it then unlocks further functions, like swapping between driver modes. Bravo for all that, though we’re less keen on the ID-inspired gear selector on the steering column. It works OK from a functional perspective and frees up storage space, but it’s ugly and feels cheap to use. In terms of trim levels the base Life gets by with the basics but little in the way of surprise and delight, the Style having a much nicer interior by virtue of more tactile fleece fabric on the seats, a heated steering wheel, chrome trim on the switches, lumbar adjustment and three-zone climate control. As above we’d skip on the R-Line for the pointless Sports Suspension it adds along with the sharper looks. All T-Rocs meanwhile use versions of the same paired digital instrument cluster and large central screen. The menus and operating system are much-improved over earlier VWs while the graphics are sharper and easier to use than those in many of the Chinese rivals. <br></p>
Power for a Volkswagen T-Roc
<p style="margin: 0cm">It shows the rate of progress that turbo technology pioneered by the Porsche 911 Turbo now features on a mainstream VW crossover, this helping the efficiency and power of the 1.5-litre petrol engine currently powering all T-Roc variants. This comes with two power outputs, both with a mild electric boost that both fills gaps in the throttle response and encourages engine-off coasting where possible. It operates very smoothly but can’t power the T-Roc on electric alone, this being something we’ll have to wait for with the full hybrids coming down the line. The ‘mild’ hybrid we chose was very smooth, refined and powerful enough to keep pace but not as fast as the R-Line bodykit and sporty looks suggested it should have been. Generally, though, the T-Roc is a smooth, refined and very pleasant car to drive. <br></p>
Lease deals
These deals are based on terms of 8,000 miles, for a 36 month lease with a 6 months initial payment.
£351.55
Monthly payment
£2,109.31
Initial payment
- 5 seats
- 5 doors
- SUV
- Hybrid
- Automatic
- 1.5 litres
£339.04
Monthly payment
£2,034.22
Initial payment
- 5 seats
- 5 doors
- SUV
- Hybrid
- Automatic
- 1.5 litres
£289.50
Monthly payment
£1,737.01
Initial payment
- 5 seats
- 5 doors
- SUV
- Hybrid
- Automatic
- 1.5 litres
£301.60
Monthly payment
£1,809.59
Initial payment
- 5 seats
- 5 doors
- SUV
- Hybrid
- Automatic
- 1.5 litres
Standard equipment
Expect the following equipment on your Volkswagen T-Roc SUV. This may vary between trim levels.
- 12V Socket - Luggage Compartment
- 2 USB-C Ports in the Front - 2 USB-C Charging Sockets on the Centre Console in Rear - Charging Capacity up to 65W
- 6 Speakers
- App Connect with Wireless Connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- DAB+ - Digital Radio Reception
- Diversity Antenna for FM Reception
- E-Sim Card for Online Connectivity
- Infotainment System with 12.9in Display
- Mobile Phone Interface Comfort with Inductive Charging Feature
- Preparation for Subsequent Activation - Navigation System
- Preparation for We Connect and We Connect Plus - 3 Years
- e-call Emergency Call Service
- 17in Alloy Wheels - Lima - Black Diamond Turned (Tyre 225/55 R17)
- Body Coloured Bumpers
- Electrically Folding - Adjustable and Heated Door Mirrors - with Front Passenger Exterior Mirror Lowering Function
- Exterior Mirror Housing and Door Handles - Body Coloured
- Illuminated Door Handle Recesses
- Rear Fog Light on One Side and Reversing Lights on Both Sides
- Roof Rails - Black
- Surround Lighting with Welcome Light
- Tyre Mobility Kit including Compressor and Sealing Foam in Lieu of Spare Wheel
- 3-Point Seat Belts for the Outer Rear Seats
- Air Care Climatronic Air Conditioning System
- Automatic Dimming Interior Rear View Mirror
- Carpet Mats - Front and Rear
- Chrome Elements on Power Mirror and Window Regulator Switches
- Decorative Inserts in Matte Pyrite Silver
- Decorative Material Set
- Digital Cockpit - Basic - 8in Display
- Door and Side Trim Panel
- Front Comfort Seats
- Front Seats with Manual Height Adjustment
- Keyless Start with SAFELOCK
- Luggage Compartment Floor Adjustable in 2 Heights - for Flat Cargo Area
- Non-folding Front Passenger Seat Backrest
- Power-Adjustable Lumbar Support in Front Seats
- Rain Sensor
- Steering Wheel - Multifunction - Leather Wrapped - Multifunction with Paddle Shift
- Sun Visors with Illuminated Vanity Mirrors
- Tool Kit with Jack for Spare Wheel
- Unsplit Rear Bench Seat - Asymmetric Folding Backrest with Centre Armrest
- 3-Point Seat Belts in Front with Height Adjustment and Seat Belt Pretensioners
- Alarm - Anti-Theft System with Interior Monitoring Backup Horn and Tow-Away Protection
- Autonomous Emergency Braking - Front Assist with Pedestrian and Cycling Monitoring
- Curtain and Side Airbags in Front with Centre Airbag
- Driver and Front Passenger Airbag with Front Passenger Airbag Deactivation
- ESC - Electronic Stability Control and Electromechanical Brake Booster
- Electronic Parking Brake with Auto Hold Function
- First Aid Kit and Warning Triangle and Safety Vest
- Hill Start Assist
- ISOFIX Anchors for Child Seats on Outer Rear Seats and Front Passenger Seat - Compatible with i-Size
- Lane Keeping System Lane Assist
- Multifunction Front Facing Camera for Distance Control
- Oncoming Vehicle Braking when Turning including Swerve Support
- Warning Signal and Warning Light for Front and Rear Seat Belts Not Fastened
- ACC - Adaptive Cruise Control
- Driver Attention Monitor and Driver Alert System
- Driving Experience Control
- Dynamic Road Sign Display
- Front Cross Traffic Assist
- Lane Change System with Side Assist - Rear Traffic Alert and Exit Warning System
- Parking Sensors - Front and Rear
- Rear View Camera
- Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator
- Automatic Headlight Control with LED Separate Daytime Running Light Entry and Exit Lighting
- High Beam Assist - Automatic Sensing for Switching Between Dipped and Main Beam
- LED Headlights
- LED Rear Combination Lamps
- Start-Stop Function with Battery Regeneration - Recuperation - Energy Recovery During Braking
Other vehicles in the T-Roc family
T-Roc Convertible
Your questions answered
Monthly rentals ('payments') are not an offer of credit. Payments are based on offers available today which may be withdrawn or varied at any time in the future without notice.
Contract Hire ('Leasing') is subject to status and approval and is only available to UK residents aged 18 and over. Vehicle must be returned with no more than fair wear and tear to avoid further charges. You will not own the vehicle. Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply.
Autotrader Limited (Firm Reference Number: 735711) is a credit broker and not a lender. Autotrader Limited introduces you to Autotrader Leasing Limited, which acts as a credit broker in its own right. Autotrader Leasing Limited, No.3 Circle Square, 3 Hawkshaw Street, Manchester, M1 7BL (Firm Reference Number: 630748) may go on to introduce you to one of a limited number of leasing companies. Autotrader Leasing Limited will typically receive a commission or other benefits from the leasing company as a result of this introduction.
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