Volkswagen is looking to boost the popularity of its R badge, which currently resides only on the grille of the Golf and a bunch of body kits. The T-Roc is likely not going to be the first R crossover, but it should be the smallest.
The Germans originally started testing the Tiguan R with a 2-liter turbo, but they decided a 2.5 TFSI from Audi would do the job much better. That leaves the field wide open for a 310 horsepower T-Roc R to wow us with its segment-leading performance.
The T-Roc is only a little shorter than the Golf and has already been equipped with 2-liter turbocharged engines producing up to 190 horsepower. With that coupe-like roof, it's almost like a replacement for the Scirocco R.
However, this time, Volkswagen is less likely to skimp out on the excellent tech. A Haldex system will shuffle up to 50% of the power to the rear wheels, while more significant brakes and tires will ensure the 310 HP crossover stops as quickly as it starts.
With 400 Nm and launch control, getting to 100 km/h in 5 seconds should be an easy job. And while crossovers will never handle like sports cars, the expected weight of around 1.4 tons should make it sufficiently agile.
These latest spy photos show that the test prototype has been fitted with lowered sports suspension. And while the T-Roc won't have anything as fancy as air suspension or crazy anti-roll bars, the dampers should be adaptive as standard.
We can't wait to see the R body kit for this bad boy, notably as the standard look is lacking in the aggression department. Those quad exhaust pipes tell us Volkswagen means business. However, judging from the early state of this test prototype, it could be another year before it's ready to come out.
As a little side note, it's been rumored recently that the Touareg R will debut with the same engine as the Audi SQ7, a 4-liter diesel V8.
The T-Roc is only a little shorter than the Golf and has already been equipped with 2-liter turbocharged engines producing up to 190 horsepower. With that coupe-like roof, it's almost like a replacement for the Scirocco R.
However, this time, Volkswagen is less likely to skimp out on the excellent tech. A Haldex system will shuffle up to 50% of the power to the rear wheels, while more significant brakes and tires will ensure the 310 HP crossover stops as quickly as it starts.
With 400 Nm and launch control, getting to 100 km/h in 5 seconds should be an easy job. And while crossovers will never handle like sports cars, the expected weight of around 1.4 tons should make it sufficiently agile.
These latest spy photos show that the test prototype has been fitted with lowered sports suspension. And while the T-Roc won't have anything as fancy as air suspension or crazy anti-roll bars, the dampers should be adaptive as standard.
We can't wait to see the R body kit for this bad boy, notably as the standard look is lacking in the aggression department. Those quad exhaust pipes tell us Volkswagen means business. However, judging from the early state of this test prototype, it could be another year before it's ready to come out.
As a little side note, it's been rumored recently that the Touareg R will debut with the same engine as the Audi SQ7, a 4-liter diesel V8.