By Sala Masindane

The original Volkswagen T-Roc landed in South Africa with much fanfare and expectations. It initially didn’t disappoint notwithstanding the late arrival in South Africa. That said, there were concerns about stock availability and the elephant in the room which is the plastic dashboard. Those seem to be things of the past as the updated model is said to tackle these shortcomings. We recently spent some in the Volkswagen T-Roc 1.4 TSI Style to experience its handful of updates.

Exterior updates

Outside, updates to Volkswagen’s compact SUV are mostly cosmetic and is noticeable by its redesigned front-end with now standard LED headlights and darkened taillights. The old narrative of “if it’s working why change” was applied in the exterior design.

Interior updates 

The biggest and most welcomed changes take place in the cabin where Volkswagen has done away with the plastic materials in favour soft touch surfaces with distinctive seams. The updated T-Roc features a new tablet-like 8.0-inch touch display with an infotainment that’s compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The T-Roc’s interior space remains sufficient for all passengers and the addition of an optional panoramic sunroof makes the cabin feel more spacious. Noteworthy convenience features include mobile phone Inductive charging and a rearview camera.

Performance and drive
Powering the entry-level T-Roc is a 1.4-litre 4-cyclinder TSI engine with outputs of 110kW and 250Nm. It’s coupled to an 8-speed Tiptronic transmission. The T-Roc is fun to drive as it felt responsive and it handles well but your enthusiasm needs to be curbed as the Tiptronic transmission often behaves like a CVT when hurried. However, that doesn’t take away from the comfort and enjoyment of the compact SUV.  The relatively good fuel consumption (we achieved 7.1l/100km against the claimed 6.3 l/100km), adds to the party.

Final Word

Although much may not have changed aesthetically, the subtle updates add to the already alluring looks and overall fun in owning the Volkswagen T-Roc 1.4 TSI Style. Pricing starts for the compact SUV from R563,800.