VW T-Roc R Looks Playful on the Nurburgring, Likely Has 306 HP

After being spotted with its production body for the first time at the beginning of the month, the T-Roc R has now been photographed at the Green Hell. On the day of its testing, a lot of debris had washed up onto the Nurburgring track, causing the prototype to slide a little which resulted in a few cool shots.

We do admit that the Golf R isn't as fantastic to drive as something like a BMW M140i or a Ford Focus RS. However, it's still enjoyed by many people. We expect to have nearly the same powertrain in the T-Roc R, especially after seeing that its rear wheels have prop shafts as well.

Volkswagen is saying "this has so much power that it needs AWD," which means the T-Roc R can't have the 245 HP engine from the Golf GTI.

Will it be slower? Probably. We compared regular versions of the T-Roc and Golf to find that with the 2.0-liter diesel engine and 4Motion AWD, the crossover weighs 1,505 kg while the hatch tips the scales at 1,395 kg, even though it's longer.

There's no real benefit of having a performance crossover over a hot hatch. But if you really must make a lifestyle statement, we support the 300+ horsepower T-Roc R. It's going to be the most powerful in the segment... unless Audi also gives the SQ2 the same motor... which it probably will.

As for styling, we prefer the real T-Roc R over the T-Roc R-Line, since its side air intakes don't have those pointless LED rings. Also, there's nothing like 19-inch wheels and quad exhaust pipes when you want character. However, it's not the best VW we've ever seen.