Volkswagen's trendy T-Roc compact SUV gently evolves in second generation form. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Review

Volkswagen's second-generation T-Roc compact SUV is a clear evolution of the style-led original - and there's more to it than first meets the eye. Its larger size and better quality feel distance it from its predecessor. And there's now the significant option of a full-Hybrid engine too.

Background

Once the defining face of small Volkswagen SUVs, where does the T-Roc fit into the Wolfsburg brand's plans today? The original version - basically an SUV Golf - was launched back in 2017 as Volkswagen's entry-level crossover, a position since supplanted by smaller Polo-based T-Cross and Taigo models. And it sold steadily for eight years, with a subtle mid-term 2022 facelift along the way, by which time both Convertible and hot hatch R models had been added to the range. By Autumn 2025 with over 2 million sales on the board, the second-generation design we look at here was long overdue. It's once more Golf-based, which means there's no EV version. But this MK2 T-Roc will have something arguably more significant for Volkswagen right now - the option of the brand's very first full-Hybrid engine. Perhaps just as significant is the fact that this second-generation T-Roc will be the very final combustion car that Volkswagen launches in its long history - or at least that was the plan at launch. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experience

There isn't an EV-powered T-Roc - and with the extent of Volkswagen's ID electric range, there doesn't need to be. What's perhaps more surprising given the Golf underpinnings is that there's still no Plug-in Hybrid version - though Wolfsburg says it could easily add such a derivative if need be. We will get a proper full-Hybrid though. More on that in a moment. From launch though - and at the time of this test - customers for this second generation T-Roc were limited to the familiar 1.5 eTSI mild hybrid four cylinder turbo petrol engine we tried, offered in 116PS or 150PS forms. Since Volkswagen has never engineered its mild hybrid tech to work with a manual gearbox, T-Roc folk are now limited to the brand's 7-speed DSG auto. As long as you condition yourself to apply smooth throttle inputs, it slurs through the gears quite nicely, but for your T-Roc to feel in any way perky, you'll need to pay the extra for this unit in its uprated state of tune. That will improve the 0-62mph and top speed performance stats from 10.6s and 122mph to 8.9s and 132mph. More important than speed though in a car like this is day-to-day usability and this car's comfort-oriented suspension set-up delivers exactly that. Unless you hobble the car with the biggest 20-inch wheel rim size, you'll find that few small SUVs in the segment ride better and if you want ride quality that's arguably class-leading, then paying extra for this T-Roc's Adaptive Chassis Control adaptive damping system delivers it. Even if you can't stretch to that, this T-Roc has a very measured mature feel, helped by precise steering and excellent refinement; which, together with the standard Adaptive Cruise Control system, makes this Volkswagen an excellent long-journeying companion; particularly if you've also specified the brand's now-improved 'Travel assist' semi-autonomous driving set-up. If you'd prefer to prioritise power rather than efficiency in your T-Roc, you can also ask your dealer about another engine not available from launch, a 2.0-litre four cylinder mild hybrid unit that only comes with 4MOTION AWD and is offered either with 203PS or - in the case of the top T-Roc R - with 333PS.

Design and Build

We wouldn't blame you for mistaking this MK2 T-Roc's design for a mere facelift of the original. "We had the chance to do something really crazy", says lead designer Stefan Wallburg; clearly he and his team chose not to take it. Yet much is different here. Though it retains the previous model's coupe-like silhouette, the car is now a substantial 120mm longer for a start (at 4,373mm) and is 9mm taller and wider too. It also gains bigger wheels (up to 20-inches in size); and the wrap-around glowing logo light bars at each end that reflect Volkswagen's current design language. With a drag coefficient of 0.29Cd, it's also 10% more slippery than before. There won't be a new T-Roc Cabriolet, but production of the current one will continue until 2027. If you were familiar with the original T-Roc, you'll notice a big improvement in quality with this second generation version inside. Lots is recognisable of course from other Volkswagen models - like the 10-inch Digital Cockpit instrument display from the Golf and the huge central monitor running the new MIB4 infotainment system. That infotainment centre screen's voice control set-up is now embellished by ChatGPT - good. But the old model's awful touch-sensitive slider panel has been retained below it - not so good. At least the previous fiddly haptic steering wheel buttons have been replaced by proper physical ones. There's now a head-up display available for the first time too. Next to the starter button is now the 'Driving Experience' control dial we first saw on the current Tiguan. It switches between audio functions, drive modes and ambient lighting settings. The overall cabin finish is smart, with lots of soft-touch plastics and back-lit perforated leatherette materials on the doors, which now feature unusual lever-style handles integrated into the arm rests. And there are some little trendy touches, like etchings of T-Rocs in the window seals and a tray for the wireless 'phone charger with a graphic that looks like a top-down view of a swimming pool with people in it. Thanks to an extra 28mm wheelbase length, there's now a little more rear seat leg room. There's 20-litres more boot space than before too - the total up to 465-litres.

Market and Model

As before, you can expect pricing primarily in the £32,000-£40,000 bracket. At least you get lots of equipment for that - including some features that T-Roc customers won't have seen before, like a head-up display and the 14-way adjustable massaging seats fitted to the plusher 'Style' version. There are four trim levels, 'Life', 'Match', 'Style' and 'R-Line'. It's probably worth stretching past base 'Life' spec and getting yourself at least to 'Match' trim, which includes 18-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, rear privacy glass, the Digital Cockpit Pro instrument screen and a centre monitor with navigation and Volkswagen's 'IDA Voice Assistant'. Across the T-Roc line-up, there's a suite of bold colour choices available and a selection of alloy wheels with smarter designs and sizes of up to 20-inches. The roof is also available in the bi-colour black solid colour. Popular options will include matrix LED headlights. And the Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) system that features in the Tiguan. Here, a selection of driving modes - 'Eco', 'Comfort', 'Sport' and 'Individual' - can tailor the adaptive suspension set-up via 15 different damping settings. In addition, all versions of the T-Roc can be ordered with a towing bracket whose drawbar load (80kg) is designed for transporting heavy e-bikes. There's a strong portfolio of safety kit, including all the stuff you would expect: so automated braking and steering assist, driver attention monitoring, Lane keep assist and road sign display. Optional features include a rear view camera, a park assist set-up that steers the T-Roc into spaces, adaptive cruise control and an improved version of Volkswagen's Travel Assist system which can predict forthcoming road obstacles like junctions, roundabouts and corners.

Cost of Ownership

We know the line-up's core 1.5 eTSI mild hybrid unit pretty well by now - it's been on sale since 2022. Expect efficiency figures similar to those of an equivalently-engined Golf. So around 50mpg on the combined cycle and around 127g/km of CO2. If you want to do better, then ask your dealer about the full-Hybrid models. Thirty years after Toyota pioneered such a powertrain, Volkswagen's finally got around to creating its own. To be fair, rival Stellantis brands don't have a full-Hybrid either, but their mild hybrid unit is notably more efficient than this Volkswagen's eTSI powerplant. As for servicing across the range, well as usual with Volkswagen models, there's a choice of either 'Fixed' or 'Flexible' maintenance packages. You'll choose the 'Fixed' approach if you cover less than 10,000 miles a year and with this, the car will typically be looked at every twelve months. If your daily commute is more than 25 miles and your T-Roc will regularly be driven on longer distance journeys, you'll be able to work with a 'Flexible' regime that can see you travelling up to 18,000 miles between garage visits - or every two years, whichever is sooner. And warranties? Well the standard package is three years and 60,000 miles.

Summary

You might think that the space in Volkswagen's SUV range between the compact T-Cross and Taigo models and the family-sized Tiguan and Tayron crossovers is a narrow one. But it's a niche that proved to be a very profitable one for the Wolfsburg brand with the original T-Roc and should continue to be for this replacement model. Some might be disappointed that Volkswagen hasn't felt brave enough to deliver something a bit more exciting with the design packaging. But you can understand why the company didn't want to risk alienating 2 million existing owners. More importantly, the proper full-Hybrid engine that quite a few of these customers might now want has been allowed for here. And the rather cheap-feeling interior of the original model has at last made way for a cabin more in keeping with this car's price point. The T-Roc remains a very 'Volkswagen' take on what a compact SUV of this kind should be, so conquest sales might be difficult. But the target market here should like it very much.