Volkswagen T-Roc review
At a glance
Price new | £28,430 - £40,665 |
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Used prices | £9,193 - £33,152 |
Road tax cost | £190 |
Insurance group | 10 - 28 |
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Fuel economy | 32.1 - 60.1 mpg |
Range | 594 - 704 miles |
Miles per pound | 4.1 - 7.8 |
View full specs for a specific version |
Available fuel types
Petrol
Diesel
Pros & cons
- Funky styling
- Low running costs
- Decent driving experience
- Disappointing interior plastics
- Firm ride on bigger wheels
- No electric or hybrid options
Volkswagen T-Roc SUV rivals
Overview
The T-Roc is one of Volkswagen’s most popular cars, having sold more than a million copies worldwide since it was launched in 2017. But now the brand offers no less than nine SUVs of various stripes, the T-Roc’s appeal has been diluted somewhat. Still, a mild facelift in 2022 freshened the car up a bit and added extra kerb appeal.
It sits between the stylish Taigo and practical Tiguan in VW’s SUV range. The T-Roc is actually a rather awkward size – it’s positioned as a rival to the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage, Peugeot 3008, Toyota C-HR et al, but its dimensions are closer to those of the Ford Puma. But it’s a relatively wide and tall car, so it has enough space to pull off the Qashqai comparison.
Not a vast amount changed in the ’22 facelift, though some noticeable improvements were made, particularly to the car’s interior. Soft-touch plastics replaced hard and scratchy materials (though there are still quite a lot of those), and Volkswagen’s latest infotainment system was added to the dashboard.
The T-Roc is available in a head-spinning array of models. From the ‘core’ range, there’s a choice of petrol engines ranging from 1.0- to 2.0-litres in size with between 115hp and 190hp, and a pair of diesels with 115hp or 150hp. There are also manual and dual-clutch automatic gearboxes to choose from, and the top-grade petrol and diesel engines can have 4Motion four-wheel-drive.
Then there are four trim levels – Life, Match, Style and R-Line. Life comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, a digital instrument display, wireless phone connectivity, front and rear parking sensors and two-zone aircon. Match adds a rear-view camera, keyless entry and 17-inch wheels; Style gains satnav and LED headlights; R-Line has a sporty-looking bodykit and heated front seats.
Right at the top of the range is the high-performance 300hp T-Roc R and adjacent is the unique drop-top T-Roc Cabriolet, which we’ve reviewed separately. Hybrid and electric power are conspicuous by their absence, but the T-Roc’s continued popularity suggests that isn’t an issue for buyers. Still, given the T-Roc is up against many, many newer rivals and a brand-new version is arriving in late 2024, should you consider putting your money into one?
Over the next few pages, we’ll review every aspect of the Volkswagen T-Roc. We’ll consider its practicality, interior quality, driving experience and running costs before offering our final verdict on the car.