Following the confirmation that it’s headed to North America, we now have the first spy shots of the Volkswagen T-Roc, the brand’s upcoming compact crossover.
First shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 2014, the T-Roc will sit on the MQB platform, much like the upcoming Audi Q3. Although this model’s styling is heavily toned down from the concept, both the crossover’s size, wide hips and its name have carried over. When it arrives, it will slot under the Tiguan and act like a competitor to the Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-3 competitor.
A range of engines will be available in Europe. Everything from a 1.0-liter three-cylinder with 115 hp to the much-loved 2.0-liter powerplant (the only one North Americans should hold their breaths for). Back in Geneva, VW was touting the T-Roc as a sporty vehicle, so there is still a chance that it will eventually make the same amount of power as a GTI, thanks to that 2.0-liter engine.
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Europeans will also have the option of a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed DSG.
Any North Americans excited for the new T-Roc should thank Volkswagen’s dealer network, because they were instrumental in convincing VW’s top brass to bring the crossover here.
“Everybody loves T-Roc, everybody,” Alan Brown, VW’s former dealer chairman, told in March. “The only concern is whether it’s going to be priced outside of the market, where it wouldn’t do the volume that it deserves to do.”
The Volkswagen T-Roc is slated to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. There is no news yet on when it will make its North American debut.
