2022 Volkswagen T-Roc review: 140TSI Sport 4Motion

VW’s fleet of SUVs all have a name starting with T but it does appear things were getting a bit desperate as the cars got smaller. With majestic names like Tiguan and Touareg for the bigger cars, it seems all the good T names were taken, so marketing came up with T-Roc for the larger of the company’s two compact SUVs.

The weirdly-named T-Roc is a Golf-sized and Golf-based machine that is currently very difficult to get a hold of. As with the T-Cross, there are just two variants available (it is the upper-spec 2022 Volkswagen T-Roc 140TSI Sport 4Motion variant we're testing here) but there are more significant differences between the two and a more significant price to match.

Although this T-Roc cracks the $40K mark, it holds the distinction of being the least expensive all-wheel drive VW you can buy. Equipped with a powerful four-cylinder turbo, a bit of R-Line styling and a fair whack of tech, this T-Roc is chasing the title of segment king.

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Pricing and Features

At first glance, this looks like a lot of money for a compact SUV – and it is – but a Kia Seltos GT-Line is also similar money.

Paying $42,700 before on-road costs for the T-Roc gets you 18-inch alloys, a six-speaker stereo, dual-zone climate control, reversing camera, keyless entry and start, front and rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, sat-nav, digital instrumentation, auto LED headlights with auto high beam, auto wipers, leather-trimmed steering wheel and shifter and a space-saver spare.

The 140TSI Sport gets the 8.0-inch touchscreen that includes native sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and, as is VW’s wont, includes two USB-C ports for connectivity. The digital dash is a 10.25-inch screen and looks terrific.

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Its five-star ANCAP safety rating is a result of six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, forward auto emergency braking (low speed with pedestrian detection), reverse cross traffic alert, reverse AEB, driver attention monitoring, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and speed alert. All of this neatly matches what’s on offer in the Kia, its most obvious competition.

The back seat has two lots of ISOFIX points and three top-tether anchors for child seats.

A $3500 Luxury package adds leather upholstery, heating to the front seats, a power tailgate and a big sunroof. The $2000 Sound & Style package chucks in a premium sound system with subwoofer and electronic damper control.

Paint is free if it’s white or red and the other four colours are $650.

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Comfort and Space

Somewhat surprisingly, boot space in the larger T-Roc is not appreciably bigger than the T-Cross. You start with 392 litres, which is just seven more than the Polo-based light SUV.

With the seats folded, you’ll have 1237 litres, which is somehow less than the smaller car. Neither figure is anything to be ashamed of, but it kind of underlines the clever packaging of the T-Cross.

Moving on to the back seat, you’ll find comfortable accommodation for two, with an armrest featuring a pair of cup holders. You’ll also find more USB-C chargers, map pockets and air vents.

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The middle seat isn’t especially comfortable because of the fairly tall transmission tunnel, but it’s here the T-Roc starts feeling markedly roomier than the T-Cross. It’s also pretty good compared to the rest of the segment, with the exception of the Seltos and the Honda HR-V, which are both freakishly roomy in the rear.

Up front, the sports seats are very comfortable and I put it to you that the cloth trim is superior to the leather, but then again, I almost always say that. I quite like the design of the dash and the whole thing is very understated and elegant.

Between the seats are two cup holders and a space for your phone. Bottle holders are provided in the doors and there's handy under-seat storage. Two USB-C ports provide charging and connectivity. I imagine that the update coming later in the year will include wireless charging, but for now it’s MIA.

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On the Road

The step up from the 110TSI Style entry variant brings not only more gear but more power and all-wheel drive. The 1.4-litre turbo makes way for a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo producing – no big surprise here – 140kW and 320Nm. With all that torque driving all four wheels through a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission you’ll crack the 0-100km/h in just 7.2 seconds.

At the moment, it’s the most powerful T-Roc you can get before the T-Roc R arrives later in 2022.

Given that power and 0-100km/h time, the T-Roc gets along quite smartly as long as you’re assertive with the throttle pedal. The turbo takes a moment to spool up and when it does, you’re away, with the tacho needle swinging with much enthusiasm towards the redline.

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Along with that flattened throttle, you’ll feel the slightest of torque-induced tremors through the steering before the rear wheels come into play. Being a Haldex system, the all-wheel-drive set-up is very keen to leave the rear wheels to their own devices unless the fronts can’t be trusted.

It saves fuel and, one imagines, wear and there is just the briefest of slippy moments before the power shuffle is complete.

The engine is really quite remarkable. It’s incredibly smooth and quiet, as it is in a number of other cars in the broader VW Group. While some might yearn for a bit of crackle and pop – an increasingly rare thing these days – most buyers I’m sure will be perfectly satisfied with its lack of volume and histrionics.

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It’s a damn sight better driveline than the similarly-priced (before options, anyway) Seltos GT-Line that has a charisma-free 1.6-litre turbo and clunky dual-clutch gearbox.

The VW’s seven-speed box is quite well-behaved here, with just the occasional rollback on a slope or a prompt from the paddleshifters to make sure it’s in the right gear.

Switching up to Sport mode on the gearbox and the Drive Select system banishes any hesitation and also brings the rear wheels into play a little more enthusiastically.

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Despite rolling on fairly big wheels, the T-Roc’s ride is fairly unflappable. When you go to all-wheel drive, the torsion beams of the front-wheel drive version are swapped out for a multi-link set-up that improves ride and roadholding.

While the ride is definitely on the taut side, it manages bumps, potholes and those dreaded rubber speed humps with ease and it’s only a big bump or hole that will unsettle the chassis.

VW’s ADR fuel consumption testing yielded a combined cycle result of 7.2L/100km. As ever, I didn’t quite get that, with my week in the T-Roc returning 9.4L/100km, mostly spent in Comfort driving mode and the standard gearbox setting.

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Ownership

Volkswagen sends its cars out into the world with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and roadside assist.

The company also offers you a choice of pay-as-you-go servicing or a Care Plan of three or five years. The three-year plan costs $1550 (saving $202 over PAYG) and a sturdy $2600 for the fiver (saving a healthy $829).

Look, it’s not cheap but really only Toyotas are cheap to service these days with their $200-odd per service pricing.

VW expects to see you back at the dealer for a service every 12 months/15,000km.

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VERDICT

There aren’t too many warm compact SUVs on the market but the T-Roc certainly manages to be the best of them. It feels much more like a slightly raised hatchback to drive than most of the competition and its turbo 2.0-litre almost justifies the hefty price difference back to the 110TSI.

It is the better of the two on offer, with superior performance, nicer fit-out and a fair bit more equipment even if the pricing might be a bit of a stretch.

With the imminent expansion of the range to include an R version and its impending update, there aren’t going to be too many cars in this spec around, so you’ll have to go hunting.

It’ll be worth the effort.

2022 Volkswagen T-Roc 140TSI Sport specifications