Volkswagen T-Roc R 2023 review

Better start with the good stuff: What powers the T-Roc R. 

Followers of the Volkswagen performance family will instantly recognise this car’s engine. It’s the critically-acclaimed EA888 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine.

In this instance it produces 221kW/400Nm making it the most powerful combustion SUV in this class you can buy. Said VW followers might notice this is less power than the 235kW/420Nm eighth-generation Golf R, and they’d be right. This tune is identical to what lived in the Mk7.5 Golf R instead.

The T-Roc is all-wheel drive, giving it a key advantage over its Kona N rival.

It’s not just a little bit of power the T-Roc R misses out on either. It also doesn’t score the new Golf’s twin-clutch trick rear differential or updated software suite, which allows that car its wily drift and honed Nurburgring drive modes.

Importantly though, the T-Roc is still all-wheel drive, giving it a key advantage over its Kona N rival.

Now we’ve got the key stuff out of the way, how much does the T-Roc R cost? Well, at $59,200 before on-road costs, it’s also one of the most expensive combustion small SUVs you can buy.

On the one hand, this looks impressive when you consider the Golf R is over six-grand more expensive (from $65,990 for the hatch), on the other, it’s exactly ten thousand dollars more expensive than the Hyundai Kona N (from $49,200). Is all-wheel drive worth that much to you?

The all-wheel drive system does, however, make the T-Roc R unique. There is nothing, at least combustion powered, at this level of performance which the R directly competes with. Unless you include the Audi SQ2 which is essentially the Audi version of the T-Roc R. It costs a whopping $67,200.

The T-Roc R gets Napa leather interior trim throughout. (image: Tom White)

Thankfully this doesn’t mean VW has taken advantage of its unique offering. The R is still packed with gear.

This includes 19-inch alloy wheels in the signature ‘Estoril’ design common to the R family, adaptive suspension and steering, Napa leather interior trim, a 10.25-inch digital dash, a 9.2-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity (the R is the only T-Roc to score this version of the screen), a wireless phone charger, as well as items like LED headlights and tail-lights, keyless entry, and push-start ignition.

Options for the T-Roc R are limited to the Black Style package ($1200), a Beats premium audio system ($750), blue inlays for the interior ($250 - only when the matching Lapis Blue exterior colour is chosen), and the panoramic sunroof ($2000).

Safety is also not bad, but not as good as the more recently launched Golf 8. More on this later.

The R is the only T-Roc to score this version of the multimedia screen. (image: Tom White)

One key trait of all current Volkswagen R variants is subtlety. The T-Roc R is no exception.

Shying away from big wings and garish wheels, many people would be challenged to spot the difference between the R and the R-Line, for example.

The T-Roc is perhaps the most pared back of the lot though, with a little rear spoiler, the R signature 19-inch ‘Estoril’ alloy wheels, and its most wild component - the quad exhaust, setting it apart.

One key trait of all current Volkswagen R variants is subtlety. The T-Roc R is no exception. (image: Tom White)

It may be fast, but it's hardly a car for someone wanting to show off. As with the Tiguan R though, there’s perhaps a strategy at play. This is a car less likely to draw unwanted attention in scenarios like the school drop off, as opposed to the matchbox car vibes of the Kona N, with all its plastic claddings and wild flourishes.

The interior continues the theme, but it’s even closer to the rest of the range. It shares its steering wheel and most of its highlight pieces with the R-Line, making it lack something special to remind you it’s an R. If anything, the R is more premium than sporty on the inside, the only version to get the best leather seat trim and largest multimedia suite.

This is more of a drawback when you consider the age of the T-Roc’s interior. Like the Tiguan, it’s starting to feel quite dated compared to more recent Volkswagen arrivals, particularly the related Golf 8.

The T-Roc is perhaps the most pared back of the lot. (image: Tom White)

Perhaps what would sway you to this car over the Golf is the practicality promise. It’s an SUV, after all.

The problem is, not every SUV is actually more practical than an equivalent hatch, sedan or wagon.

The T-Roc is a good example of getting it right though. Not only will the improved ride height help with issues like ground clearance, but it also has the knock-on benefit of the ease of egress and the fitting of child seats in the rear.

Perhaps what would sway you to this car over the Golf is the practicality promise. (image: Tom White)

The front passengers are treated well with semi-bucket seats increasing comfort in the corners and ample room and adjustability for someone my 182cm height. The upgraded screen is a welcome addition. It looks good and is relatively fast, but the loss of a volume knob is a shame. Similarly, the climate console has been modernised into a touch panel unit, which looks nice, but can be a bit fiddly to operate while driving.

Storage comes in the form of a bottle holder in the doors, two more down the centre console, and an armrest storage box. A wireless charger lives in the nook under the climate unit, which also houses the USB-C ports.

The centre seat is simply a space which is no good for an adult. (image: Tom White)

The rear row offers decent space for someone my height, with a little knee room behind my own driving position and sufficient headroom too. The nice seat trim continues, although the middle seat is particularly narrow, and the floor space is interrupted by a tall transmission tunnel required for the all-wheel drive system. The centre is simply a space which is no good for an adult.

There are a further two small bottle holders in the doors, two in the drop-down armrest, pockets on the backs of the front seats, dual adjustable air vents, and two USB-C ports, making it a well-rounded space for two rear passengers.

The boot is not compromised compared to other variants, with 392 litres (VDA), which is well above average for the small-SUV segment, although there is only a tyre repair kit under the floor rather than a spare.

The boot is not compromised compared to other variants, with 392 litres (VDA). (image: Tom White)

I hope you weren’t planning on having an ultra-efficient fuel-sipper, because while the T-Roc R isn’t bad, all things considered, it’s still a performance car.

Its official WLTP-rated combined consumption figure is 8.3L/100km, and I was surprised to find that despite some spirited driving on my test loop with the car, it arrived on a reasonable real-world figure of 9.5L/100km. Not too shabby at all.

This is no doubt in part thanks to the T-Roc R’s snappy seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, but on the downside you will need to feed this engine top-shelf 98 RON unleaded fuel. It has a 55-litre fuel tank.

The T-Roc has a fairly substantial active safety suite, which includes autobahn-speed auto emergency braking, lane keep assist with lane-departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. While those last two items will be removed from the main T-Roc range over the course of 2023 due to supply constraints, VW says they will stay a staple of select cars like the T-Roc R.

The T-Roc R is not covered by the five-star ANCAP safety rating awarded to the rest of the T-Roc range.

One drawback the T-Roc suffers due to its age is the airbag coverage. It still has a sufficient six, but the new Golf has eight.

The T-Roc R is also not covered by the five-star ANCAP safety rating awarded to the rest of the T-Roc range in 2017.

Volkswagen stays the course with a five-year and unlimited kilometre warranty, which includes roadside assistance for the duration.

It is notable VW’s warranty doesn’t specifically cover limited track use like its Hyundai rival.

Service costs are toward premium, but nowhere near as expensive as they could be. The T-Roc is available with a service plan bundled at the time of purchase, which costs $1600 for three years, or $2800 for five years. It needs to see the workshop once every 12 months or 15,000km whichever comes first.

It’s easy to forget how fast the T-Roc R is because it’s so tame around town. The ride isn’t bad, it’s quiet, it's at least somewhat sophisticated.

Then you get it out on a country road, place it in Race mode, and stick your boot in, and it’s alarming just how much torque keeps arriving from the punchy 2.0-litre engine.

Is it fast in a straight line? Absolutely. But the challenge for a fast SUV is how well it holds on in the corners. After all, it’s got a lot more gravity working against it compared to a low-slung hatch or sedan.

To that end, the T-Roc is at a significant disadvantage compared to the Golf 8. If track days are your thing, the hatch is by far the superior car, and that’s even before you consider the T-Roc misses out on the clever enhancements the new Golf has, like the rear twin clutch pack which enables drift mode, and even helps shave seconds off of lap times by speeding things up in the corners.

It's alarming just how much torque keeps arriving from the punchy 2.0-litre engine.

All-wheel drive is the T-Roc’s best friend. While the relatively high seating position will fling you back and forth in the corners, the car does a fantastic job of holding things together, when it feels like it really shouldn't. Even the Tiguan R is a bit less scary in the corners, because its additional heft provides enough reassurance things aren’t (literally) going to go sideways.

The T-Roc R is a little bit silly then, but it’s also a lot of fun. As long as you don’t take it too seriously.

In race mode, the exhaust sounds fantastic, and the steering tune and accelerator response are enhanced in all the right ways. The seven-speed dual-clutch is in its element here, snapping through the ratios with finesse.

Where is it not so good? Well, apart from being a bit scary in the corners as already mentioned, the road noise does make its way into the cabin, no doubt due to those low-profile tyres, but it is something which may become grating over longer freeway trips.

In race mode, the exhaust sounds fantastic. (image: Tom White)

The ride is surprisingly good, which is where this car, like the other R products, shines.

It’s a car which is just as comfortable plodding around town as it is on the open road. It’s not likely to shatter your back or annoy your neighbours. Even the dual clutch behaves itself at low speed with such a torquey engine, and the interior appointments are as ‘semi-premium’ as it gets in this part of small-SUV town.

The purist, of course, will want to stick with the Golf at the end of the day, but that’s not to say this T-Roc isn’t every bit the R badge it wears on its rear.