Volkswagen T-Roc headed to South Africa
The new normal for the motoring industry appears to include fully digitised model introductions, allowing motoring journalists to be introduced to new products from the comfort of their home or office.
By Sean Nurse
The new normal for the motoring industry appears to include fully digitised model introductions, allowing motoring journalists to be introduced to new products from the comfort of their home or office. The latest model to be introduced is Volkswagen’s fifth SUV within the local line-up, the T-Roc. The new model will join the T-Cross, T-Roc, Tiguan, Tiguan Allspace and the Touareg when it arrives in November of this year.
The demand for SUVs
Volkswagen made mention of the fact that the SUV market has grown by 44% in South Africa and from 2015 to 2019 while also including an estimation by industry experts that the compact SUV segment worldwide will almost double in size over the next decade. This demand is why the brand has placed an increased emphasis on SUVs in recent years.
Where does the T-Roc fit in?
The T-Roc will slot-in above the T-Cross and below the Tiguan in the Volkswagen SUV range, therefore offering space that is equivalent to a Golf hatchback, but wrapped-up in a crossover SUV body, with added ride height. It offers 445 litres of boot space with the rear bench folded up which increases to 1 290 litres with the rear seats folded flat.
Spec options
The T-Roc range includes Design derivatives in both 1.4 TSI and 2.0 TSI guises. These models include air conditioning, the Composition Media infotainment system, connectivity to the We Connect Go app, Voice Control, LED taillight and Park Distance Control (front and rear). These derivatives include 17-inch Mayfield alloy wheels with the option of 18-inch Montego alloy wheels as well as an 18-inch Grange Hill alloy wheel.
The other spec option is the R-Line which includes features Front Assist area monitoring with City Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Monitoring, the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System and the lane-keeping system Lane Assist. Other features include the Light Assist package, LED daytime running lights in the bumper and dynamic cornering lights, 19-inch Suzuka alloy wheels, the Active info display, Keyless entry, Mobile phone inductive charging, Adaptive Cruise Control and leather seats.
The looks
As with other Volkswagen SUV products, the T-Roc has a rather distinctive look, with a wide radiator grille that is integrated with the headlights while the LED daytime running lights sit lower on the bumper, creating a characterful face. The T-Roc’s silhouette is characterised by a chrome element that runs from the A-pillars across the side roofline into the C-pillar, which, according to the brand give the vehicle a coupe-esque look. T-Roc models also include dark plastic trim around the wheel arches and side sills, as well as the vehicle’s front and rear. The rear bumper features a design aimed to frame the rear lid, providing the car with a sportier look. The T-Roc will also be one of the first products to display the new Volkswagen logo in South Africa.
Interior
The interior of the T-Roc features the latest generation of Volkswagen interior design, as seen in the Touareg, but downscaled. The interior integrates the Active Info Display and infotainment system to create an interactive cockpit. Design derivative models include a limestone grey dashboard colour and white ambient lighting along with the option of three interior colours to choose from. The R-Line derivatives feature a Caribou Grey dashboard along with red interior ambient lighting.
Two-tone T-Roc
Volkswagen also announced that the T-Roc will be available to order in two-tone paintwork with a contrasting roof section, A-pillars and exterior mirror housings. T-Roc Design variants are available with pure white, red and black in terms of their roof and exterior mirror housing colour options. These roof and exterior mirror housings can be specified with a variety of exterior colours, providing 26 unique colour options. The R-Line derivatives will be available in 21 different colour options.
Engine line-up
The T-Roc range will only include two turbo petrol engine options initially. At the entry-level point, there’s a 110 kW and 250 N.m 1.4 TSI engine paired with a new eight-speed automatic gearbox. This engine provides a 0 – 100km/h sprint time of 8.4 seconds while offering a claimed fuel consumption figure of 6.9 L/100km.
The current flagship engine is a 140 kW and 320 N.m 2.0 TSI engine paired with a 7-speed DSG gearbox which put power through the brand’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. This model will sprint from 0-100km/h in 7.2 seconds and consume a claimed 8.3 L/100km.
When will the models arrive?
The T-Roc 1.4TSI 110kW Tiptronic Design and 2.0TSI 140kW R-Line will go on sale in South Africa in November 2020 while the 2.0TSI 140kW Design derivative will be available in January 2021.
Service plan and warranty
The Volkswagen T-Roc range comes standard with a three-year/120 000km warranty as well as a five- year/ 90 000km service plan.
Pricing
Volkswagen South Africa will only announce pricing for the T-Roc range in August 2020 due to currency fluctuations.
