Volkswagen T-Roc review

Our opinion on the Volkswagen T-Roc

We weren’t always sure why car buyers would choose the Volkswagen T-Roc over a cheaper Golf, but the all-new second-generation makes a far more compelling case. Thanks to a lovely new interior, much improved tech, efficient powertrains and a responsive driving experience, Volkswagen has matured the new T-Roc into a worthy addition to the range. 

About the Volkswagen T-Roc

The T-Roc is Volkswagen’s stylish crossover that sits between the Tiguan and T-Cross in the range. It doesn’t just fill a conveniently sized gap, though, because it’s also one of VW’s more eccentrically designed SUVs, with bright colours, large wheels and even a high-performance range-topper. 

This seems to have resonated with buyers, too, because the T-Roc has been a huge success in its first generation, with more than two million units sold since 2017. Not wanting to isolate its huge customer base, VW says this new generation takes the original’s key traits and takes them up a notch, with better quality, slicker powertrains and similar eccentric styling. 

Its rivals are numerous and include other smaller C-segment SUVs, such as the Nissan Qashqai, Toyota CH-R, Cupra Formentor and MINI Countryman. Other SUV rivals in this class, like the Peugeot 3008, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Ford Kuga and Toyota RAV4, are larger – but not always more expensive. 

Volkswagen T-Roc prices and latest deals

Prices for the new Volkswagen T-Roc start from a little under £32,000, which is more than the Qashqai, C-HR, Sportage and some of those other competitors we mentioned. We’ve been told four trim levels and several powertrains, including a brand-new full-hybrid set-up and a hot ‘R’ model with a healthy 328bhp, will be offered eventually.

Used - available now

2021 Volkswagen

T-Roc

54,705 milesManualDiesel1.6L

Cash £12,550

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2021 Volkswagen

T-Roc

43,832 milesManualDiesel2.0L

Cash £19,099

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2025 Volkswagen

T-Roc

30,799 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £20,249

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2024 Volkswagen

T-Roc

20,592 milesManualPetrol1.0L

Cash £17,899

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But at the time of writing there’s a choice of Life, Style and R-Line. What’s more, the only engine available is a four-pot mild-hybrid petrol and every T-Roc features a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. 

If you want more choice or you’re in a hurry to grab a T-Roc, why not look at the existing model on the Auto Express Buy a Car service. 

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Volkswagen has launched the T-Roc with just one mild-hybrid engine in two states of tune, but the range will grow in the next 12 months with a much wider range of options – all hybridised and all petrol-powered.

For now, the initial engine offering is a 1.5 eTSI four-cylinder petrol engine with a turbocharger and mild-hybrid system with either 115bhp or 148bhp. This unit can be found in all manner of VW Group models and is known for being very refined and efficient. However, this is just the tip of a forthcoming wave of new powertrain options. 

First will be a bigger 2.0 eTSI, running a similar mild-hybrid system and 4Motion all-wheel drive with 200bhp. Later in 2026 will be a pair of full hybrid models – a VW first – with 134bhp and 166bhp. A top-spec ‘R’ model will arrive with a 328bhp power figure and standard 4Motion all-wheel drive will complete the line-up. 

All models feature a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and higher-spec models have the option of VW’s adaptive dampers.

Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

The T-Roc’s pair of 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engines both feature mild-hybrid systems. The entry-level engine is rather meek, with 115bhp and 220Nm, and takes a rather leisurely 10.5 seconds to get from 0-62mph. However, the more powerful 148bhp variant with 250Nm is spritelier, dropping the 0-62mph time to 8.9 seconds. 

These don’t sound like impressive figures, but thanks to a combination of the clever VTG, or variable geometry turbocharger, and extra electric boost from a mild-hybrid system, acceleration feels effortless from idle. 

There’s very little noise or vibration, and the powertrain easily makes good progress without feeling strained. If you’re after a more engaging driving experience, it doesn’t really deliver, but there will be more charismatic options available later in the T-Roc’s lifecycle. Key updates of the Volkswagen T-Roc review.

Town driving, visibility and parking

If there was a car designed to be an easy companion around towns and cities, it’d be the T-Roc. Its crossover body sits you higher than in a normal hatchback, but the VW’s compact external dimensions and low bonnet mean it doesn’t feel too big or unwieldy. Visibility out of the front is excellent, and the slightly raised edges of the bonnet can be seen from the driver’s seat, making the car very easy to place on the road. 

Rearwards visibility is also good, despite the big C-pillars, and with the reversing camera makes parking easy. If there was one caution it would be the bigger wheel sizes, because these will be easy to catch on kerbs and rough sections of road. 

Low-speed manoeuvrability is as good as any C-segment hatchback, and the relatively fast and light steering make slipping through traffic easy. The steering is nice and accurate, too, making for an unintimidating drive no matter your skill or experience. 

If there was one consideration it would be the dual-clutch transmission, which doesn’t respond well to jerky or nervous inputs. If you’re constantly on and off the throttle, it can be indecisive, but with more consistent driving inputs this greatly improves. This is a complaint that we also had with older VW products with a DSG transmission, however, the new T-Roc’s tuning, plus the mild-hybrid system, does broadly give it a smoother driving experience. 

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Country road driving and handling

This is where the T-Roc does very well considering its class and rivals. T-Roc’s have always largely driven like a Volkswagen Golf and the same is true now. There’s a polish to the driving experience that’s innate in this latest T-Roc, and even with bigger wheel options, it seems to shrug off road bumps and cambers without issue. 

There’s a fundamental stability and ease to which the T-Roc carries speed into and out of corners, helped by steering that feels accurate and connected, but never nervous. The whole driving experience instills confidence in a class where this is often put to one side in the quest of more cabin space or easier low-speed manoeuvrability. In our opinion, the T-Roc hits a fine balance, and should appeal to drivers of all calibres.

Motorway driving and long-distance comfort

This inherent ‘ease’ is just as apparent at motorway speeds, where the torque-heavy powertrains make it easy to keep up with traffic. It’s also impressively refined inside the cabin, although road noise in cars on larger wheel sizes will be slightly louder. 

A tall seventh gear, and the engine’s overall refinement also help, making this an easy cruiser, and the active cruise control that’s standard across the range is well calibrated. The T-Roc once again overdelivers on its grown up and multi-faceted driving experience. This initial range of engines only scratches the surface of what this chassis is capable of delivering. We look forward to seeing what the future hybrid, and hot-rod ‘R’ models deliver. 

"Some might call it predictable, but the new T-Roc’s driving experience instills great confidence and makes covering big distances a breeze." - Jordan Katsianis, news editor.

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For now, Volkswagen has continued segregating its models depending on their powertrain type. As a result, the all-new T-Roc is not available with a battery electric option  – but that’s not to say VW hasn’t been busy electrifying the new generation. All T-Rocs launched in this generation will feature some level of hybrid system. 

For now, the engine range is limited to a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with mild-hybrid assistance, and even this gets relatively good economy figures. On paper VW quotes MPG ratings of up to 51.3mpg and 126/125g/km of CO2 for the 148bhp and 115bhp variants. Our experience in a high-spec 148bhp R-Line model with the 19-inch wheels suggested that this MPG figure should be easy to match in ideal conditions. 

Our test took place in very wet and windy conditions, and we averaged around 46mpg. This was despite the extra wind and road resistance of the stormy conditions, so it was impressive to see the figure get so close to the official numbers. The mild-hybrid system also feels very easy to get along with in terms of driving ease; its stop-start system is seamless, and the car feels very happy to disengage the gearbox or shut down the engine all-together when cruising to help reduce fuel consumption. 

All cars have a sweet spot when it comes to efficiency, and the T-Roc seems happiest when driving at medium speeds on single and dual-carriageways. We found high-speed motorways and low-speed traffic conditions – where the MHEV system has less benefit – don’t favour the powertrain layout. However, even then the T-Roc is still impressively efficient. 

The good news is that other engines are coming, including a new 200bhp 2.0-litre eTSI with 4Motion all-wheel drive, and a new range of full hybrid four-cylinder engines with 134bhp and 165bhp. All three of these powertrains are new to VW, and all will likely offer excellent fuel efficiency. 

VW hasn’t announced efficiency numbers for the full-hybrid T-Roc just yet, but has said it will offer a 15 per cent over an equivalent mild-hybrid. That suggests CO2 emissions close the 100g/km mark and potentially returns of around 60mpg, based on the numbers we saw during our test of the 148bhp R-Line.

Insurance groups

At the time of writing, the T-Roc’s UK insurance groups haven’t been set, but based on the previous generation these should vary between groups 10-28. The reason for such high groups at the upper end is the 328bhp R variant, which has extreme performance available for the class. These numbers are higher than the class average, but not by a huge amount across the mainstream range. 

Tax

Most T-Rocs will slip under the £40,000 luxury car tax threshold, so only cost £195 per year in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) road tax. If specified to more than £40,000, road tax rises to £620 annually. For business users, Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company car tax rates are a steep 31 per cent. 

Depreciation

VW’s generally have impressive residuals, and this new-generation T-Roc should continue that trend. There’s always an advantage to purchasing a car right at the point of launch, so this new model could be even better, but even the previous generation at the end of its lifecycle was rated to retain around 46 per cent of its value after three years, and 40 per cent after five. 

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The T-Roc was always designed to be one of VW’s more eccentric models, defined by one or two key design elements, like the ‘hockey stick’ trim above the windows, which have been reimagined for the second generation. And while this might make it look like less of a stylistic leap than some customers might hope, actually study the design and you’ll see it’s quite different. 

New to this generation is a much sleeker set of lights front and rear, including light bars and illuminated badges. The body itself is also now more aggressively proportioned, with bigger wheelarches and more pronounced flares above them. VW offers wheel sizes of up to 20 inches. The colour schemes have also returned to offering brighter options, with three bright primary colours, including a canary yellow, giving the palette some life.

The entry-level Life model comes very generously equipped and we think it’s the pick of the range right now. Included is: 

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Eight-inch digital driver’s display
• 12.9-inch central touchscreen
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• LED headlights
• Rear-view camera
• Adaptive cruise control

Upgrading to Style trim adds nearly £5,000 to the T-Roc’s price tag but does offer 18-inch rims, upgraded headlights, ambient lighting, heated leather steering wheel and heated front seats. Meanwhile R-Line models are priced from just under £39,000 and get more aggressive bumpers, stainless steel pedals, sports seats in the front and sports suspension that lowers the ride height by 15mm. 

Interior and dashboard design

One area where Volkswagen has fundamentally changed the T-Roc is its interior. In previous generations, this almost felt like an afterthought, with a noticeable downturn in quality compared with an equivalent Golf. For this generation, that notion has been turned on its head, because the new T-Roc’s cabin isn’t just a vast improvement, but also proof that VW is listening to its customers from across all its models. 

The core design is simple, with a straightforward driver’s display and main touchscreen mounted on a clean dash. There aren’t many eccentric design features, but what is here is great, including the upholstered dash-top, soft-touch around the key parts, a nicely shaped centre console and a few key physical controls. 

Materials and build quality

The first thing you notice about the cabin is its much higher quality elements that you can see and touch. The new fabric panel across the main part of the dashboard isn’t just padded, but features a running shoe-like texture that replaces a typically hard and unsightly slab of plastic. This is surrounded by higher-quality material elements, including the section where you'd generally rest your hand when using the touchscreen.

There are more soft-touch materials on the door cards, and while there isn’t the same sense of colour as the previous generation, you can specify a light grey-coloured seat and dash option to lift the overall ambience. And when the sun goes down the extensive ambient lighting elements begin to glow and give a very upmarket feel. 

The good news is that unlike some cars which feature soft plastics but don’t back it up with actual build quality, the T-Roc feels like VW at its best. The dash and centre console feel completely solid, the controls around the steering wheel are nicely damped and high-end, while there’s a satisfying thunk when you close the doors. 

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Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo

Matching the upscale materials and build quality are the T-Roc’s digital interfaces. All models have a dual-screen set-up with a 10-inch driver’s display and either a 10.3 or 13-inch touchscreen. 

The main touchscreen features the same controversial volume and temperature sliders as other VW products, but they work within an ecosystem that’s far better resolved. The key thing is that the main interface is now much more responsive and doesn’t require an IT degree to navigate. 

The main screen has all your key functions, including a static section for the air-conditioning, while elements such as the active driver aids and drive modes are all instantly accessible from the home screen. We’d still like some physical controls for the air-con, but there is no annoying digging through sub-menus for anything you’d use daily.

One physical control worth mentioning is the programmable volume knob. As well as controlling the audio level, it can also operate other functions. One press and it’ll change the drive mode or the colour of the interior ambient lighting – it’s a very welcome addition to an already impressive cabin. 

Connecting your phone is easy, and we found it to be completely reliable via wireless Apple CarPlay. When in CarPlay, it’s easy to switch back to the native system. The driver’s display is also excellent, with clear graphics and a good variety of layouts depending on your preferences. The screen’s ability to match its colour to the ambient lighting is also a nice touch. 

VW’s also reverted to physical controls on the steering wheel, which make operating the driver’s display far more intuitive than the previous touch-sensative controls. In fact, compared with many modern digital-dial packs, the T-Roc has a huge array of options that can be set up precisely. 

"The new T-Roc is clear evidence that VW is listening to customers and giving its models the class-leading cabins they expect. Quality, tech and materials are all excellent." - Jordan Katsianis, news editor.

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The T-Roc’s style-led position in the VW range has its compromises when it comes to interior space. Despite being a C-segment SUV, the cabin isn’t as spacious or versatile as many rivals’. However, if you’re in the market for a more family-friendly SUV option, there’s an obvious step up to the Tiguan within the VW range.

No plug-in hybrid variants are yet available, but it remains to be seen if the future hybrid variants have any compromise in overall interior space. There are good levels of storage up front, with a big central bin and a decent-sized glovebox. However, there’s no outstandingly large storage spaces, and the semi-open nature of the central console might not suit everyone.  

Dimensions and size

At 4,373mm the T-Roc just above hovers between the C and B SUV segments, meaning it’ll come across two general types of rivals. Closest in many respects is the Nissan Qashqai, which is slightly larger than the T-Roc in most dimensions, and it’s also close in size to the mechanically-related Cupra Formentor. The Toyota CH-R is another segment-buster, and while it shares similar external dimensions, has a much smaller cargo area. 

But the T-Roc is smaller than many key C-segment SUV rivals, such as the Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Peugeot 3008, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Renault Austral and Ford Kuga. Look downwards in rival ranges and the VW is larger than many B-segment, or supermini-based, models such as the Ford Puma, Peugeot 2008 or Nissan Juke, but is also considerably more expensive. 

Seats & passenger space

Just like the larger Tiguan, the T-Roc’s new seats are superb. They offer excellent levels of comfort and support for long-distance driving. There’s lots of adjustment to the driving position, and despite the compact exterior dimensions, it feels bigger inside than it looks from the outside. 

The second row is a little more compromised. Width isn’t too bad, but the relatively small windows can make it feel more enclosed, and there’s a transmission tunnel for middle-seat passengers to contend with. 

There are easy-to-access Isofix points on the second row, and while the roof is sloping, the doors open wide for good access. It’s also at a decent height for loading kids. However, if you’re after more family-friendly space in the second row and a bigger boot, the Tiguan is a better option. 

Boot space

The T-Roc’s overall boot space is good on paper, with 475 litres matching most rivals, and bettering others such as the Toyota CH-R. However, the sloping rear glass makes the space less versatile. 

While the loading lip is relatively high, the second row-seating does split into three sections. This is handy for carrying long items while still being four-up in the cabin. There aren't any remote seat latches, though, and they don’t fold completely flat. Total space is 1,350 litres with the rear seats folded. 

While there’s plenty of space in the back for bulky items, and some handy under-floor storage, we feel larger SUVs would suit being used as regular child-friendly transport. 

Towing

Volkswagen offers different towing capacities depending on the engine variant. As it stands, the entry-level 116bhp 1.5-litre variant is rated to 1,500kg, with the 148bhp 1.5 at 1,700kg and the new 200bhp 2.0-litre eTSI at 2,000kg. These are all braked trailer ratings.  

"Use as a full-time family SUV might be tricky with the T-Roc, but there’s always the larger Tiguan within the VW range…" - Jordan Katsianis, senior staff writer. 

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Volkswagen will launch the T-Roc with a comprehensive active safety suite, and many key elements are fitted as standard on every model. This includes functions such as vehicle braking when the car senses another road user turning or swerving into your lane, a predictive speed limiter, front cross-traffic alert and emergency autonomous braking with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring. All these have contributed to its top five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, which beats the now four-star rated Nissan Qashqai.

It’s too early in this new T-Roc’s model cycle to get a solid idea of specific reliability, but the previous model was only average, coming 38th out of 50 cars in our latest Driver Power survey. However, its two poorest categories were in safety kit and infotainment, both of which have been significantly improved in this latest generation. Hopefully these improvements will contribute to the Volkswagen brand gaining some places over its rather disappointing 27th place out of 31 manufacturers in the latest survey.

• Best buy: Volkswagen T-Roc Life 1.5 eTSI 150PS

It’s far too early to tell, but the 1.5-litre MHEV unit with 148bhp that we drove seemed to offer a brilliant combination of easy performance and efficiency. For the sort of car the T-Roc is, which is to say an effortless daily driver with some level of practicality, this makes a perfect pairing. High levels of standard equipment also mean you don’t need to splash out on the top-spec car to get the right toys. 

We certainly wouldn’t worry about getting the R-Line, because it doesn’t offer too much over the standard car in terms of driving dynamics, while it will make for a dark interior and raise running costs if paired with larger wheel sizes.

Volkswagen T-Roc alternatives

The T-Roc has a laundry list of rivals, including the best-selling Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Kona and Toyota CH-R, which can be smaller but also less expensive than the stylish VW. Prices start from nearly £32,000, however that figure can quickly rise to over £35,000 when you add a few options or upgrade to a higher specification, which makes this one of the more expensive options in the C-segment SUV market. 

But whereas the previous model never quite felt worth its price tag, the new one is a different story. It might not be as big as similarly priced competitors, and it won’t be able to match the equipment levels of its Chinese, Korean or Japanese rivals, but the T-Roc is among the best in class to drive, and is nicely efficient to boot. The final say will come when we have a better idea as to its precise pricing, but on the face of it so far, the T-Roc is a strong contender in a very busy class.

Key updates of the Volkswagen T-Roc review

• 22 January 2026: Updated to include details about the T-Roc's standard features.
• 10 December 2025: updated to include the announcement of a five-star Euro NCAP crash test safety rating for the VW T-Roc.