The Youthful VW T-Roc..

We were first introduced to the Volkswagen T-Roc in 2020; it has been a while since then. The German maker has since made a few updates to the vehicle. As usual, there were discussions around the car. Debates on pricing as always the case when it comes to this brand. I am starting to believe that these online debates are not a reflection of what the reality is out there when it comes to Volkswagen, ask the 4 490 T-Roc customers since its launch. One thing you cannot take away from VW is its brand loyalists and strong brand value.

Volkswagen has what they are calling a TSUV range consisting of the T-Cross, Tiago, T-Roc, Tiguan, and Touareg. When the T-Roc was launched, we were told by the manufacturer that the vehicle now completes the TSUV range, what do you know? They had more! Back to the time spent getting to know the refreshed T-Roc, a pleasant experience. The compact crossover drives like a dream. Smooth transmission, comfortable chassis, great handling, and of course, unquestionable good looks. The T-Roc rocks (see what I did there?) because it gives you the ground clearance of an SUV, the agility of a hatch, and superb built quality bringing in the premium feel with belligerence.

You will notice on the exterior of our R-Line test unit that it is sportier and comes with 19-inch Misano alloy wheels completing the good looks. In the comfortable interior, you are greeted by a multi-function Sports steering wheel with annoying touch controls, nice, lush Nappa leather seats, and a digital cockpit Pro, complete with a cool Beats sound system. The interior has nice finishes, keeping the youthful, striking but elegant overall feel of the car.

Before I start to sound like a fan and not an objective automobile journalist, let’s bring in the facts so that you can also make up your mind about the offering in question. The T-Roc is available in the entry-level Design equipment Line which is fitted with the 1.4 TSI engine and the 2.0-litre TSI engine shared by the Design (middle spec) and R-Line (top of the range) trim. In the entry-level design, you get an 8-speed Tiptronic transmission with the 1.4 TSI engine producing 110 kW/250 Nm of torque while the 2.0-litre TSI 4MOTION produces 140 kW/320 Nm through the 7-Speed DSG transmission on both the R-Line and Design trims. The acclaimed 7.3l/100km consumption was not the case in the R-Line test unit, a 13l/100km was achieved instead, but a good friend mentioned this might be due to my heavy foot and of course the altitude.

My vision for the T-Roc is a young professional moving up the corporate ladder, or a young couple raising their first child enjoying weekend activities or travelling. Verdict? A hard Yes for me, emotions don’t lie, it was sad to see this one go, especially because I did not visit the petrol station once during its stay.