Volkswagen T-Roc India | In-depth Review

Volkswagen T-Roc Overview

The Volkswagen T-Roc is a car that speaks, a lot of People’s interests. And that is because people cannot quite figure out where exactly in our market. It is a compact crossover with a compact petrol engine but, its price is 20 lakh rupees ex-showroom. 

Now in a market that equates the price of an SUV with its size, that does seem like a bit of an anomaly. But something tells me there is more to this car than meets the eye. And that is exactly, what I am here to find out today?

But, before we dive right in, tell us what you think about the T-Roc down in the comments? Do you like the way it looks, you think it can justify its price, let us know?

Volkswagen T-Roc Exterior 

Design 

What it lacks an outright size, it attempts to make up for with panache. 

• The LED headlamps and chrome-lined grille merge into one continuous form,
• There are neat LED DRLs that double up as indicators,
• And there is even a brushed silver skid plate sitting below the big honeycomb air dam,
• There is a good amount of the requisite black cladding around the base of the T-Roc,
• And some prominent wheel arches at the rear, 
• You will find fake exhaust surrounds cladding that cuts into the bumper to house the number plate,
• And the words T-Roc wrote boldly under the VW logo.

But his most striking feature is the least SUV like thing about it. 

• The raked roof as standard, 
• You get a gloss black roof that extends down to the a-pillars 
• The C-pillar is thick and body-colored with a silver accent. And for that last reminder that this is no hatchback.
• There are roof rails since the car is so small,
• The 17-inch alloy wheels fill the arches,

And while you could have your T-Roc in black, white, or grey. You should have it in orange blue or this rather striking Curcuma yellow. It is also worth noting that the boot at 445 liters is not huge. But, it will take a set of wicked luggage.

Volkswagen T-Roc Interior 

The interior of the T-Roc, well it is very Volkswagon. I mean, there are lots of dark colors, a lot of straight lines and a lot of sharp angles and very, very good quality. Okay, I wish there was some soft-touch plastic. This is not, but it is so high-quality, and everything is so well screwed together, it is hard to point fingers at it.

They have done somethings to liven things up like, using many colors of plastic all over the cabin. They have even got three color upholstery for the seats. I also like how they have centered the touch screen towards the driver a little bit. And also, this crisp set of digital dials, it looks very, very good.

Back Seat Comfort 

But, Step into the back seat, and well now, the compactness of the T-Roc will be felt. Here in the backseat, this is not a car for the chauffeur-driven. Knee room is not that great, Headroom even though it scooped out. I am okay, but taller passengers will be quite close to the roof lining. And well, more than anything else, it is just that the seats of the front are so close to you. It does not contribute to a great sense of space. 

Moreover, this seat is best suited for two people. But those two will be very, very comfortable. 

• You see, they are like a pair of bucket seats. They hold you snug in place. 
• There is great Thai support. 
• And there is this lovely huge armrest at a good height.
• Moreover, there is a Sunroof. It is a panoramic sunroof, not the largest. But, then this is not the largest car.

But it does want us to assist in giving this car a slight area feel other, nice touches here are:-

• Cup holders that can be adjusted for size,
• adjustable rear headrests,
• and 3-point seatbelts for all three rear passengers.

I wish there is a USB port for charging but, you only get a 12-volt socket.

Features

But, this is a 20 lakh crossover after all. And let us see what they have done with the equipment list. Some of the highlights are:-

• Dual-zone climate control, 
• A crisp and customizable digital instrument display,
• An 8-inch touchscreen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto,
• The electronic parking brake with auto-hold, 
• Six airbags, 
• Tire pressure monitoring system, 
• Fuel-saving engine stop-start, 
• Heated mirrors, 
• A panoramic sunroof, 
• Rear disc brakes, 
• Front and rear parking sensors, 

And much more. What came as a surprise was because this is a direct import from Europe. It comes with some sensor base driver aids like:-

• Keep Assist, which will gently steer the car back into line if it detects you have crossed the lane markers, 
• And even a head-on collision warning system.

Luckily, we did not get a chance to test, so it is packed with quite a lot of goodies. Now time to get behind the wheel and see what it is like to drive.

Volkswagen T-Roc Driving Experience 

What I find impressive about the T-Roc right away as soon as you get Behind the wheel. Is that

• From here, at least it does not feel that compact,
• And that is because the dashboard feels wide enough, and you get a great view out of the front and the sides. 

Another beauty of the T-Roc driving experience, it makes you feel like you are driving a midsize SUV. But it is quite compact, and it delivers that sensation well from behind the wheel. The other way is the-Roc delivers that big car feel is through the chassis and the dynamics. 

You see, it is a very taut firm chassis, and that is only a good thing. And the suspension setup has that lovely European maturity to it. If you ever want to know what we mean when we say European maturity to the chassis dynamics drive. One of these cars because this is the same car that you would get in Europe.

It is a CBU import and because it is already a crossover. And riding high off the ground. They have not had to alter the suspension in any way. It is not got a rough road packet or anything. So this is the European car. It also helps that they fitted it with 17-inch wheels and rather high-profile 55 profile tires. That does well to absorb some of the bumps. Okay, there is a little bit of busyness over undulations that you might feel. But apart from that, it is got this rock-solid Suspension super planted ride quality.

So, while it might move you around the cabin a bit over smaller bumps at low speed and go a bit faster. It flattens everything that goes under its wheels as you pick up the pace. It gives you so much confidence. And that is partly because though it may not be a very long car with a very long wheelbase. It is quite wide for a car of this size, and it is got pretty wide tracks. So it is got a very planted stance on the road handling wise. 

It is pretty good because it has not been set up softly. You do not get a lot of body roll. So it stays nice and controlled in a corner at speed. The steering, okay, I would have liked a little bit more weight and feedback from it. But it is good you cannot have a lot of fun with this car.

When you are pressing on, it feels like a tightly controlled large hatchback to drive. And for a high riding crossover, that is high praise indeed. And before we forget, nope, it does not get all-wheel drive. This is a front-wheel-drive only.

Engine Specs & Gearbox

• Price     ₹ 19.99 Lakh onwards
• Mileage        17.85 kmpl
• Engine       1498 cc
• Transmission   Automatic (7-speed DSG gearbox)
• FuelType     Petrol
• Seating Capacity 5
• Transmission: Automatic
• Power:          [email protected]
• Torque:         [email protected]
• Engine Displ.:     1498 cc

So, what about the power train then? Well, it is the Volkswagon Group’s new 1.5-liter TSI Evo engine. The same one we saw in the Skoda Karoq, and it makes 150 horsepower, and while it felt pretty quick enough. In the car up in this smaller lighter T-Roc, you can bet it feels even quicker.

In fact, in our preliminary testing, it is 0-100 Kph in less than 10 seconds. And when it comes to mainstream family calls. If it does a sub-ten-second zero to under time, it is considered pretty decently quick in our books. The in gear or rolling acceleration times for overtaking are rather good too. Thanks to VW’s ever-impressive 7-speed DSG gearbox. Which manages to be smooth when you are driving peacefully and lightning-quick.

When you’re being aggressive, there are, of course, paddle shifters. That you can use to take control manually. But I find leaving it in S or sport mode handles things quite well on its own.

The engine itself is rather good. It is very refined at low revs and, it can get a little bit booming as you rev it out. But it is not too bad and as is characteristic of this latest generation of TSI direct-injection turbo petrol engines. It enjoys being revved and is very rev-happy.

But it also has that lovely strong turbocharger to Maitreya. If you keep your foot down in sport or manual modes. It will Rev to the 6,500 rpm redline, so it is a little bit of both worlds, and whichever way you cut it. It is a lot of fun.

Conclusion 

So looping back to the start, where does the T-Roc fit in the Indian market place to answer that you need to abandon. The idea that it is an SUV because it’s not what it is a crossover that leans heavily into its on-road ability. Which comes at the cost of the traditional SUV space practicality and Road presence. It’s good for a small family or an individual who occasionally travels with friends. And it has its distinct style and delivers big on driving dynamics and feel-good factor.

And yes, there is a niche market for that. Because VW has managed to sell out almost all its thousand unit import allocation. To put it another way, we’ve always wondered. If VW would ever bite the bullet and bring in its full-size hatchback the golf to India. 

But it hasn’t and, it won’t because the idea of a hatchback so big and expensive would not work here. The T-Roc then is the golf they can bring here. Thanks to its added crossover appeal and practicality and right now. There’s nothing else quite like it on the market.

Volkswagen T-roc price – 20 lakhs Ex-Showroom