Volkswagen T-Roc Review
Car Tested: Volkswagen T-Roc; Road Test No. 1178; Test Location: Germany
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 23.60 lakhs
The T-Roc will attract a small group of buyers with its premium price, smart design and long list of features
Realising the importance of SUVs in India, Volkswagen has decided to go flat-out with an SUV offensive in the Indian market. Their first ‘made in India’ SUV is the Taigun which is still a year away from launch due to localisation but the German automaker is bringing in the T-Roc via the CBU route (no homologation needed for under 2500 units) to give Indians a flavour of what to expect from SUVW. We drove the Volkswagen T-Roc extensively in Germany to get a good understanding of this Creta-sized but Compass-priced (the T-Roc is a CBU) SUV which has impressed in abundance.
Motor Quest: Unveiled in 2017, the T-Roc is Volkswagen’s fourth SUV and was showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo with the launch happening in March. It previews what to expect from the locally made Taigun which will be launched next year.
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The T-Roc’s simple design has all typical VW elements
Exteriors – Volkswagen’s design is very neutral, some might call it bland while many would lament the styling to be classic and timeless. However, with the T-Roc, there is a shift in the design direction because this compact crossover does look quite striking thanks to the quirky elements previously unseen on a VW car. The front gets chrome surrounds around the grille, the black cladding runs around the car for an SUV feel while the roof, mirrors, grille as well as the A and B-pillars (with Volkswagen written subtly) are finished in gloss black. Our test car being the lower-trim missed out on full LED lights but these are standard on the Indian model.
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The India spec T-Roc will get higher ground clearance and smaller wheels
Good use of chrome and gloss black give the T-Roc a striking and elegant look
The side profile of the T-Roc makes it look like a mini Tiguan with roof rails that seem more form than function and the same philosophy has been carried at the rear too where there are two fake exhaust outlets (one on either side) with the real exhaust tucked right under with twin ports. Chrome has been used at most places including the window-line as well as the rear bumper for the premium appeal. The 17-inch wheels on our test car look good but we are unsure if VW will offer the same wheels on the India model as the car showcased earlier seemed to be running on bigger wheels which may not make it to the production model. So while the size isn’t the T-Roc’s forte, it surely has some interesting design elements to make it stand out with the India model to get a higher ground clearance.
