Prices released for range-topping Volkswagen T-Roc R
Hot 296bhp VW T-Roc R SUV is available to order now from £38,450
Orders are now open for the Volkswagen T-Roc R, the latest high-performance SUV from the VW Group. It starts at £38,450 and arrives after the Cupra Ateca, Audi SQ2 and the diesel-powered Skoda Kodiaq vRS.
Under the bonnet, the T-Roc R features a 296bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which is shared with a number of hot hatches and two of the SUVs mentioned above. Linked to 4MOTION all-wheel-drive and a DSG automatic gearbox, the T-Roc R manages 0-62mph in just 4.9 seconds and accelerates on to a top speed of 155mph.
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The T-Roc R’s styling is similarly pumped up. It sits lower than the standard car, and has more presence. There’s a new lower bumper section at the front, with larger air intakes and new LED lights, and elements like the grille surround and headlight bezels are now in black.
Just like on the Golf R, the fast T-Roc gets silver wing mirrors and four large exhaust pipes protruding from the rear bumper. It comes with 19-inch alloy wheels and huge 17-inch brakes as standard, while the options list includes a Beats sound pack, keyless entry, high-beam assistance and a panoramic sunroof. Also on the options list is an Akrapovič exhaust system for £3,000, which’ll ramp up the exhaust noise. We found the Cupra Ateca too quiet for such a powerful car, so the T-Roc with a sports exhaust could fare better.
The car will combine the performance of a hot hatchback with all the practicality you’d expect of an SUV. The R should maintain the standard car’s 445-litre boot and impressive passenger space.
After a number of sightings of development cars last year, Volkswagen Brand CEO Herbert Diess confirmed in a statement that the R version of the T-Roc will mark the start of the expansion of the R brand as the company look to rival the Skoda Kodiaq vRS, Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 and Cupra Ateca.
When we spoke to Diess at the 2017 ‘GTI Treffen’ festival at Lake Worthersee in Austria, he told Carbuyer that the R brand model range had scope for high-performance SUVs, whereas the company’s GTI brand remains limited to performance-orientated hatchbacks.
Read our review of the standard Volkswagen T-Roc for more information, or read our guide to the fastest hot hatchbacks currently available.
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