The Volkswagen T-Roc is a compact SUV that was introduced in South Africa in 2020 and slots in between the Taigo and the larger Tiguan. It has quickly become a popular choice for families due to its spacious interior, comfortable ride, and advanced safety features. Volkswagen has sold approximately 4 500 units since its local launch.
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Space
The Volkswagen T-Roc offers sufficient room for passengers and cargo. It has a spacious cabin that can comfortably seat up to five adults, but the person in the middle rear seat would have to be quite skinny. And, due to the bump in the middle, he/she would also have to put their legs on either side of the footwell.
The rear seats are designed to provide ample legroom and headroom, but I wouldn't say that legroom is especially generous. If you have taller adults in the front seats, those on row two won't have much room for stretching out. Children and shorter adults on row two will have ample legroom.
Related: Nissan Qashqai vs Volkswagen T-Roc vs Mazda CX-30: Which one is the best value for money?
Additionally, the T-Roc has a generous 445-litre boot capacity, which can be extended to 1,290 litres when the rear seats are folded down, so that families can easily fit all their stuff in the car without any problems, however, as a carpooling mom, I always have three kids and their luggage in the car, and with everyone's sports equipment in the cargo area, I only just manage to close the boot. Sometimes I would even remove a bag and make it ride in the cabin behind one of the front seats.
As for car seat fitment, it's relatively straightforward.
Related: VW T-Roc 1.4TSI 110kW Design Review
Features in the new T-Roc
The latest update sees the T-Roc with a lot more standard onboard kit than the previous model.
Related: Everything you need to know about the VW T-Roc
T-Roc Design 1.4TSI 110kW Tiptronic
All T-Roc models are equipped with ABS, brake assist, hill-start assist, traction and stability control, a tyre pressure monitor, six airbags, cruise control, keyless entry, child locks, Isofix anchorage points on the outer rear seats, rear privacy glass, Bluetooth, Smartphone mirroring, heated rear screen, rear air vents, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming interior mirrors, electrically adjustable side mirrors with memory function, front fog lamps, and ambient interior lighting, as well as:
- LED head- and tail lights,
- A leather steering wheel, (with paddle shift, Adaptive Cruise Control, High-Beam Control Light Assist and Autonomous Emergency Braking with Front Assist),
- Dual USB-C ports in front and in the back (4 in total)
- A multi-colour Digital Cockpit
- Dual-zone climate control
- Comfort Package with keyless entry,
- Composition Media Radio
- Park Assist with Park Distance Control
R-Line models have the following features as standard:
- A sportier bumper design and sports steering wheel with touch control
- Sports Comfort Package (Sport suspension, progressive steering and keyless entry),
- Nappa leather seats
- Driver assistance with lane-keeping and lane-change assist
- Digital Cockpit Pro
- IQ Drive Package (Autonomous Emergency Braking with Front Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control with speed limiter and Proactive passenger protection system for Front Assist and Side Assist)
Our test model in Design trim, had an array of extras added, which included:
- Inductive (wireless) charging: R4300
- Vienna Leather upholstery with an electrically adjustable driver's seat with a memory feature: R13 400
Verdict
The T-Roc is great for small families with up to four members, but it would be advisable to opt for the larger Tiguan or Tiguan Allspace if the family starts growing or gaining new members!
The fact that the R-Roc gets a 5-star safety rating from EuroNCAP is another feather in its cap.
The numbers
| Specification | Volkswagen T-Roc 1.4TSI 110kW Design | Volkswagen T-Roc 2.0TSI 140kW 4Motion | Volkswagen T-Roc 2.0TSI 140kW 4Motion R-Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1.4L turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol | 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol | 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol |
| Power | 110 kW @ 5,000 – 6,000 rpm | 140 kW @ 4,000 – 6,000 rpm | 140 kW @ 4,000 – 6,000 rpm |
| Torque | 250 Nm @ 1,500 – 3,500 rpm | 320 Nm @ 1,500 – 4,100 rpm | 320 Nm @ 1,500 – 4,100 rpm |
| Transmission | 6-speed manual or 7-speed DSG automatic | 7-speed DSG automatic | 7-speed DSG automatic |
| Drive | Front-wheel drive | All-wheel drive | All-wheel drive |
| Fuel consumption (combined) | 6.3 – 6.5 L/100 km | 7.2 L/100 km | 7.2 L/100 km |
| CO2 emissions | 145 – 148 g/km | 165 g/km | 165 g/km |
| Top speed | 205 km/h | 210 km/h | 210 km/h |
| 0-100 km/h | 9.2 – 9.3 seconds | 7.2 seconds | 7.2 seconds |
| Length | 4,234 mm | 4,234 mm | 4,234 mm |
| Width | 1,819 mm | 1,819 mm | 1,819 mm |
| Height | 1,573 mm | 1,573 mm | 1,573 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,590 mm | 2,590 mm | 2,590 mm |
| Ground clearance | 185 mm | 185 mm | 185 mm |
| Boot capacity | 445 litres | 445 litres | 445 litres |
| Price (starting from) | R 572,300 | R 636 700 | R 670 300 |
*The Volkswagen T-Roc comes standard with a 3-year/120 000km warranty, 5-year/ 90 000km EasyDrive Service Plan and a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty. The service interval is 15 000km.
Customers have the option to extend EasyDrive Maintenance and EasyDrive Service Plans up to 10 years / 300 000km. - VWSA
There is also a range of optional extras that can be added to the car, such as a panoramic sunroof, leather seats (Design variants), and a Beats sound system.
Buying used? Read this review on a slightly older R-Line model:
Volkswagen T-Roc 2.0TSI R-Line (2021) - Is it a worthy successor to the Jetta?
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