Volkswagen is regarded as one of the best car makers in the world and has been selling its cars in huge amounts across the world. But, till 2019 they had no exciting products in their portfolio for the Indian Automotive Sector; only a Polo and Vento which aren’t updated for 10 years, and just a Tiguan 5-seater which was later discontinued due to BS6 emission norms, and then, no cars were launched. But, now VW has realized that to stay alive in the highly competitive market i.e., India, they have to launch innovative products. So, they have come up with the new T-roc, and let’s get to know how this car fares with its rivals.

Exterior

The VW T-roc is sold not only in Indian Markets but also in European ones and it is specially designed for European markets which are visible from its design language. The bold shoulder line and the clean doors along with the low stance resemble a hatchback rather than an SUV. The LED headlamps, the chrome-surrounded grille, and the quirky DRL cum turn indicators give the T-roc a youthful persona.

The lower skid plate helps to take up those ugly and huge potholes in the city The side profile as I said is clean without any lines flowing through the body giving an upmarket look. The strong shoulder line and the window line with chrome strip give it a bit subtle look. The rear profile is identical to some of the VWs available in the foreign markets like Tiguan, Tiguan AllSpace, Touareg, and somewhat Arteon. The smart-looking taillamps, faux exhausts, and skid plates at the rear helps to give it a mature look but not understated elegance. VW has used a lot of skid plates to give it a macho appeal, still, the conventional boxy design of a typical SUV is missing.

Overall, the 2021 T-roc looks fresh but is more of a crossover than a proper SUV.

Interior

The VW Troc cabin completely contradicts the exterior. The interior is quite minimalistic yet built to last as the quality of the materials used in the cabin is top-class. The dull gold slab of plastic that runs through the center console and accentuates the AC vents gives it a premium look.

Also, the upper part of the dashboard and the piano black touches uplift the cabin a lot; However, there are very few soft-touch areas like the door armrests and some areas of the central console, which didn’t look all that great in a 30 lakh rupee SUV. The seats were covered in Vienna Leather and I must say, that these seats are extremely comfortable and well-cushioned. They offer a tremendous amount of thigh support and lumbar support, and the seats are well-contoured which makes your journeys quite relaxing.

The overall sense of space is decent due to the dark materials used in the cabin. In the rear seat, the rear legroom and the headroom are more than ample, but it isn’t up to the levels of Tata Harrier or MG Hector, even though they come at a lower cost. Overall, the space in the VW T-roc is just fine but not exceptional.

Features

The VW T-roc has got features in its arm to fight with its rivals like Tata Harrier, MG Hector, and Jeep Compass. First up, in the exterior, the Troc is available with full LED headlamps, taillamp, turn indicators, panoramic sunroof, keyless entry, roof rails (functional), escort function, shark fin antenna, front and rear parking sensors, R17 alloy wheels. Coming to the interior front it gets a push-button start, fully digital instrument cluster, heated front seats, 2 zone climate control, electric parking brake, rain-sensing wipers, an 8-inch touchscreen with android auto, apple car play, and it gets Think Blue which provides your driving data i.e. the way you drive, accelerate, and brake.

On these bases, it rates your driving skills. Next are the rear AC vents, paddle shifters, and auto start-stop system. Overall the feature list is pretty good but not great as it misses on electric seat adjustments, connected car tech, air purifier, ventilated seats, and electric tailgate opener which the competition offers.

Performance and handling

The Volkswagen T-roc comes with the same 1.5-liter TSI petrol engine which is a common sight in Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun, and the discontinued Skoda Karoq. This engine produces 150 hp and 250 Nm of torque which is quite respectable. The power and the torque figures are complimented by a 7-speed DSG, which is the typical VW-Skoda transmission. However, there is no diesel engine option. Out on the road, the T-roc feels extremely powerful and nimble on its feet. Thanks to the new fuel-injection system and state-of-the-art fueling done by the engine, it never goes out of breath and linearly delivers power. The engine is quite free-revving and it puts down breath-taking performance even on higher RPMs, which isn’t common in petrol engines. This has some characteristics of a diesel engine which never makes me feel the need for it. As far as the turbo lag is concerned, it’s quite minimal and it stays till 1350-1400 rpm only. The handling is extremely phenomenal because it has stiff suspension and a great chassis balance which enables you to throw T-roc in tight corners and I must say, it makes enthusiasts feel delighted.\

Ride quality and steering

As I just discussed earlier that the suspension is quite stiff which lends it a composed ride, unfortunately, the ride quality goes for a toss. At slower speeds, the cabin feels unsettled and it hampers the comfort adversely. Each and every undulation and pothole are felt inside the cabin but on the flip side, the T-roc feels glued to the road at higher speeds. In fact, it can do 170-180 kph quite easily on highways for a long time.

The steering feedback is impressive. It feels quite light at lower speeds and weighs up nicely at higher speeds. Even while cornering, it gives a lot of confidence to push the car to its limits.