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, it could be argued the T-Roc’s appeal has been diluted somewhat.

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.

The T Roc was last updated in 2022. Not a lot changed, though some noticeable improvements were made and 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.

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. Head over to our how we test cars page to find out how we reached our final decision.