Photo: SB-Medien
Yes, Volkswagen is making the thing they said they would make. They always do, don't they?! The T-Roc Convertible or Cabriolet, whatever you want to call it, has just been spied testing for the first time.
This sounds like a stupid idea. The market is small, and Volkswagen doesn't have the best relationship with convertibles based on front-wheel-drive platforms. Golf Cabrio, Beetle, Eos - all lackluster performers based on Golf-like platforms. And you know what the T-Roc is? A Golf SUV.
Even Volkswagen says it's a stupid idea. “It’s a car we all wanted to make. There isn’t a huge market for it – that sort of car is only popular in a small number of countries – but we felt passionately we should do it," said the brand’s sales chief, Jurgen Stackman in a recent interview.
It feels like Volkswagen is making the same mistakes it did before dieselgate, producing way too many cars that won't make a profit. But at the end of the day, it's their end of year bonuses that are on the line here.
So who is going to buy the T-Roc Cabrio? Well, in theory, it's purists, folks who want an SUV for real adventures, like a Jeep only without the hassle of unbolting the top. However, we think the real clients here are posh European women who are no longer attracted to regular small convertibles like the MINI.
Production for this bad boy is already slated to kick off during the second half of 2020 at the Osnabruck plant in Germany, where VW used to produce the Golf Cabriolet. The facility is scheduled to get a €80 million upgrade so it can build the funny convertible soft-roader.
Pretty much everything about it is easy to understand. The design has a revised top, obviously, as well as a 2-door body with frameless doors. The engines will be the same too, with customers being offered TDI and TSI units ranging between 115 and 190 HP. Those with more than 150 HP will be available with AWD.
Even Volkswagen says it's a stupid idea. “It’s a car we all wanted to make. There isn’t a huge market for it – that sort of car is only popular in a small number of countries – but we felt passionately we should do it," said the brand’s sales chief, Jurgen Stackman in a recent interview.
It feels like Volkswagen is making the same mistakes it did before dieselgate, producing way too many cars that won't make a profit. But at the end of the day, it's their end of year bonuses that are on the line here.
So who is going to buy the T-Roc Cabrio? Well, in theory, it's purists, folks who want an SUV for real adventures, like a Jeep only without the hassle of unbolting the top. However, we think the real clients here are posh European women who are no longer attracted to regular small convertibles like the MINI.
Production for this bad boy is already slated to kick off during the second half of 2020 at the Osnabruck plant in Germany, where VW used to produce the Golf Cabriolet. The facility is scheduled to get a €80 million upgrade so it can build the funny convertible soft-roader.
Pretty much everything about it is easy to understand. The design has a revised top, obviously, as well as a 2-door body with frameless doors. The engines will be the same too, with customers being offered TDI and TSI units ranging between 115 and 190 HP. Those with more than 150 HP will be available with AWD.
Google News