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VW Announces the T-Roc R!


Danno
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It’s here…

 

After many years speculation about what the next full-fat R model was going to be, it’s here and it’s a….drum roll…..it’s an SUV?!

 

For years the chat has reigned supreme on this topic at VWROC.com. First it was all about the WRC winning Polo, and whether that would homologate into a proper VW R. No is the short answer. In subsequent interviews VW clarified that the ethos of the R brand is speed AND 4 wheel drive. The Polo just doesn’t have the capability (currently) to take onboard the Haldex system.

 

Then there was the Golf R400, or R420 depending on which tea leaf brand you were attempting to read the future with. That of course was hit by the VW Dieselgate scandal and pulled. Although again VW’s Jost Capitio recently elaborated that they just didn’t think they had the market for the R400, and as a result of their extensive research, of which this forum took a lead role (shame on those that responded), customers only wanted about 300BHP in the sub €50,000 (£42,000) bracket. He reckoned that by busting those figures, not only would the R400 be too costly to own and run, but that it would have meant losing half of their sales volume.

 

So, to the Geneva Motor show. We knew that the T-Roc R was a possibility. We’d seen the sketches and even seen images of it testing at the Nurburgring, but we’d also seen R400 mules, and they came to nothing. So I have to say we were all a little surprised and delighted when it was actually launched this week at the motor show.

 

I was sceptical at first about the whole concept, but after reading all the reviews and watching all the videos, my mind has been changed. I like this SUV. Apparently, according to Jost Capito, it drives better than the Golf R. They really have worked their magic on the chassis, handling and drive train and although it cannot overcome the sheer physics of its stance, it does perform really well. Only nine seconds slower than the Golf R hatch around the ring is not bad.

 

I feel that this plucky little sports SUV has the chutzpah to take on and beat BMW and Audi at their equivalent attempts. This could well be the class leader, just like your very own Golf R’s when stuck up against the Audi S3. Time will tell.

 

Order books are likely to open soon, and it could be arriving on our shores in the late autumn.

 

I won’t go into all the detail here, we’ve created a section full of news, videos and reviews by other more professional journalists, so please enjoy and carry on the debate here.

 

We’ve also added an Official Order Thread…I wonder which VWROC member will be the first to add their details….

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Won't get it in the United States and I am dissatisfied with the fact it's only a 4 cylinder engine for it being an SUV. Love my DSG Golf R 4 cylinder but an SUV deserves a bigger engine and bigger turbo in my opinion. Given its size I'm sure it will be just like a tuned GTI.

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1 minute ago, Cool Hand Luke said:

Won't get it in the United States and I am dissatisfied with the fact it's only a 4 cylinder engine for it being an SUV. Love my DSG Golf R 4 cylinder but an SUV deserves a bigger engine and bigger turbo in my opinion. Given its size I'm sure it will be just like a tuned GTI.

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It's an SUV in name only IMO. It's basically a hatch on stilts really. What do you have out in the States that rivals this? I wonder what the reason is for not releasing it in the US. Any idea? Too much competition or not enough interest?

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It's an SUV in name only IMO. It's basically a hatch on stilts really. What do you have out in the States that rivals this? I wonder what the reason is for not releasing it in the US. Any idea? Too much competition or not enough interest?
Too many SUV's here already

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How does this category do in the US?
 
From my own, possibly naive impressions, the US likes big cars. This class may be a tad small in the SUV stakes...
Size doesn't mean anything. We have the macan, clubman, and fiat versions. Yeah like the skinny white blonde lady who lives by me who drives an infinity Q80 SUV with no kids lol. I can't even stand big SUV's. No point for the most part.

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It's an SUV in name only IMO. It's basically a hatch on stilts really. What do you have out in the States that rivals this? I wonder what the reason is for not releasing it in the US. Any idea? Too much competition or not enough interest?
The market is too small. Plus we have the new Ford Edge ST coming out.

2019 Ford Edge ST SUV | The first Performance SUV from Ford | Ford.com
https://www.ford.com/suvs-crossovers/edge/models/edge-st/

2.7L Turbocharged V6 for $42,355 USD. Basically the same price as the DSG Golf R and barely any bigger than a Tiguan and comes with a turbo V6 means this thing will rip like a rocket once tuned. If you check out the link you can see why this would be preferred over the T-Roc R here in America. If they put the Passat 3.6 V6 in the T-Roc R and slapped on an IS20 GTI Turbo or better yet an IS38 Gold R turbocharger then they would have competition. The States have so many SUV's right now and can you imagine the huge price $$$ of a T-Roc R with a turbo V6!!! Lol they would lose half the sales of the Golf R if this had a Golf R price with better performance and better handling with more cargo space in the cabin and trunk.

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The market is too small. Plus we have the new Ford Edge ST coming out.

2019 Ford Edge ST SUV | The first Performance SUV from Ford | Ford.com
https://www.ford.com/suvs-crossovers/edge/models/edge-st/

2.7L Turbocharged V6 for $42,355 USD. Basically the same price as the DSG Golf R and barely any bigger than a Tiguan and comes with a turbo V6 means this thing will rip like a rocket once tuned. If you check out the link you can see why this would be preferred over the T-Roc R here in America. If they put the Passat 3.6 V6 in the T-Roc R and slapped on an IS20 GTI Turbo or better yet an IS38 Gold R turbocharger then they would have competition. The States have so many SUV's right now and can you imagine the huge price $$$ of a T-Roc R with a turbo V6!!! Lol they would lose half the sales of the Golf R if this had a Golf R price with better performance and better handling with more cargo space in the cabin and trunk.

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The US is an odd market indeed, developed country but fuel that’s comparatively very cheap.
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