Volkswagen T-Roc Life
By Ian Strachan.
Volkswagen was eyeing the fast-growing medium SUV sector when it launched the T-Roc in 2017. Since then it has sold more than a million units worldwide, and it has just had the benefit of a significant facelift.
The T-Roc sits below the popular and well-established Tiguan. With rugged good looks and some striking paint colours this is unmistakably a Volkswagen. It comes with front wheel drive or VW’s 4MOTION four wheel drive system. I tested the front wheel drive T-Roc Life, with a three-cylinder 1.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine.
The interior of the T-Roc has body colour trim which helps the overall ambience with a splash of colour. You get pleasant trim and seat materials and clear, well-lit instruments with easily accessible controls.
Specification on the Life specification which I tested is good, with two-zone air conditioning with pollen filter, all-round airbags, eight-inch touch-screen with DAB radio plus Bluetooth compatibility, and adaptive cruise control. You also get 16 inch alloy wheels, black roof rails, all round electric windows and door mirrors, an electronic parking brake with auto hold, front and rear parking sensors with park assist and lots of storage space. The Life trim level also has lane assist, LED daytime running lights, keyless entry and automatic stop/start..
Extras on my test car included an uprated and connected navigation system with streaming and internet (£750), heated front seats and washer jets (£295), and front and rear carpet mats (£105).
I test drove the 1.0 litre 115 horsepower petrol version which gives a respectable 47.1 miles to the gallon in mixed driving, and is a smooth unit. A 1.0 engine doesn’t sound powerful enough for a vehicle of this size, but with a turbocharger fitted it is surprisingly brisk. It gives a 0-60 mph time of a shade over 10 seconds. At motorway speeds it feels comfortable and unfussed.
Handling is good, with crisp steering, and no body roll on cornering. My test car had a pleasant six-speed manual gearbox
The latest T-Roc looks good, has a nice driving environment and good performance. Plus it won’t break the bank. The T-Roc Life 1.0 litre TSI 115 PS manual which I tested comes in at a competitive £25,525 on the road, and will probably hold its value well.
