Volkswagen T-Roc 2022 review – A tech overhaul for VW’s small SUV

As the small SUV in Volkswagen’s range, the T-Roc sits in between the smaller T-Cross and larger Tiguan. Unlike those two more practically minded models, the Volkswagen T-Roc offers a more stylish, sporty vibe.

The 2022 Volkswagen T-Roc range grows slightly and remixes some of the variants available previously. A new flagship T-Roc R joins the range (and we’ll cover that separately next week), while the new T-Roc 110TSI Style carries over, and the previous 140TSI Sport now becomes the 140TSI R-Line and picks up some T-Roc R styling cues along the way.

While Volkswagen was slightly late to the small SUV party, only launching the T-Roc locally in early 2020, this latest round of changes ensure the new T-Roc keeps pace with competitors.

Like the Golf, on which it is closely based, the T-Roc 110TSI features a 110kW/250Nm turbocharged 1.4-litre engine, an eight-speed automatic, and front-wheel drive. Unlike the Golf, the T-Roc 140TSI R-Line adds a more powerful 140kW/320Nm, and runs through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to all-wheel drive.

Volkswagen has already set pricing for both 2022 model-year cars and 2023 model years, which makes things slightly confusing. If you’re looking at 2022 stock, the T-Roc 110TSI Style starts from $37,250 and the 140TSI R-Line from $45,250, both before on-road costs. The 2023 versions will arrive without some safety tech (side assist, rear traffic alert, proactive occupant protection system) and have a $650 lower starting price as a result.

Speak to your dealer about what will be included if you’re looking at a T-Roc.

The starting price places the T-Roc at a premium over other mainstream small SUVs, but the standard equipment list is comprehensive. The step up to the R-Line seems reasonable given the performance boost, but adding options can soon rocket up the starting price, so we’d suggest you choose additional features judiciously.

Items that don’t change between model years include LED head- and tail-lights, chrome roof rails, rear privacy tint, power-folding mirrors, and keyless access with push-button start. The T-Roc Style also includes 18-inch Grange Hill alloy wheels, loop-style daytime running lights and rear reflectors, and a contrasting black roof. The T-Roc R-Line swaps in R-Line bumpers and running lights, a faux-vented rear bumper, body-coloured lower bodywork, and 18-inch Nevada alloy wheels.

Cars shown throughout display the R-Line with optional Black Style Package, full details are included below, but the 19-inch black wheels, black contrasting roof, black roof line strip, mirrors, roof rails, and carbon-look C-pillar decal alter the visuals somewhat.

The T-Roc Style can be optioned with a Sound & Vision Package adding Beats premium audio, up-sized digital instrument cluster, and the addition of wireless smartphone connectivity and inbuilt navigation to the infotainment system. A sunroof and powered tailgate are available as stand-alone options on both grades, and leather seating (Vienna leather on Style, nappa leather on R-Line) with a powered driver’s seat and three-position memory are available as a package on both grades.

For the 2022 update, the interior of the T-Roc has been overhauled. The seats and interior space itself are largely carryover, but decor and trim have been revised, and a new dash and infotainment system takes centre stage.

If you’re familiar with Volkswagen products, the T-Roc will feel right at home. Firmly padded, grippy seats, a logical layout to major controls, and a restrained colour palette set the tone.

The front seats are roomy, but the space around them is still small-car-esque in terms of foot room and width. In the Style there’s standard ‘microfleece’ trim and manually adjustable seats (with under-seat storage), while the R-Line gets sports seats and combination cloth/microfleece upholstery.

Optional leather trim and a powered driver’s seat with memory are available, and the package was fitted to the R-Lines we drove at launch. The R-Line sport seats add a nice layer of lateral grippiness without being too aggressive.

The rear seats are comfy for two adults, but knee room is a little more limited. For me at 169cm I could fit in comfortably, but taller occupants (say those 180cm or more) might find things more squeezy. Unlike the smaller T-Cross, the T-Roc goes without sliding rear seats.

Boot space in the T-Roc Style measures 445L with the rear seats up and 1290L with seats folded. The R-Line has a slightly smaller boot measuring 392L to the rear seats or 1237L with seats folded.

Both T-Roc grades feature a redesigned dashboard to accommodate the new high-positioned infotainment measuring 8.0 inches.

The T-Roc Style comes with a ‘Composition Media’ system that includes AM/FM radio, Bluetooth, and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The T-Roc R-Line keeps the same display size but adds ‘Discover Media’, which brings wireless smartphone mirroring, gesture and voice control, and inbuilt navigation. The Discover system can also be optioned on the Style.

Wireless phone charging is standard, as are two front and two rear USB charge ports. A six-speaker audio system features on both grades, with a 300-watt Beats-branded system available as part of either the Sound & Vision Package on T-Roc Style, or the Black Style Package on T-Roc R-Line.

The Sound & Vision Package also adds a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display (standard on R-Line) with an 8.0-inch digital instrument display standard on Style.

Helpfully, the system keeps shortcut buttons and physical knobs for ease of use. Similarly, the dual-zone climate control retains a dedicated touch panel for ease of access, although the previous three-knob climate with physical buttons layout has been retired.

T-Roc Style gets a new steering wheel, with physical controls, but the R-Line sports wheel comes with touch controls that can be finicky to use at times.

The T-Roc carries over its five-star ANCAP rating from 2017. Its assessment at that time saw it receive a 96 per cent rating for adult occupant protection, 87 per cent for child occupant protection, 79 per cent for pedestrian protection, and 70 per cent for safety assist systems.

For 2022, the T-Roc range comes standard with adaptive cruise control, driver fatigue monitoring, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection (branded Front Assist), lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist, front and rear low-speed AEB (for parking situations), semi-automated park assist, rear-view camera, and ‘travel assist’ lane centring with adaptive cruise control – all branded under Volkswagen’s IQ.Drive technology umbrella.

It’s worth noting that MY2022 vehicles also ship with blind-spot monitoring (side assist), rear traffic alert and proactive occupant protection system (which can tension seatbelts and close the windows/sunroof when an impending accident is detected). Cars labelled MY2023 miss out on this tech, but those already in the country are fitted with the full safety suite.

The T-Roc also goes without traffic sign recognition, which can be handy to have if you’re travelling unfamiliar roads, and a head-up display.

Volkswagen Australia has made this move to ensure waiting lists don’t blow out, and your Volkswagen dealer can advise how your vehicle will be equipped if you’re looking to order.

As with the rest of the Volkswagen range, the T-Roc is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre manufacturer’s warranty.

Pre-paid Care Plan servicing is available with the T-Roc Style priced at $1350 for a three-year plan or $2250 for five years. The T-Roc R-Line is slightly more expensive at $1550 for a three-year plan or $2600 for five years.

Insurance costs for the T-Roc range start from $1335 per year for the Style and $1513 per year for the R-Line, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

The efficiency leader of the T-Roc range, unsurprisingly, is the T-Roc 110TSI Style, with a smaller, lower-output engine, and two-wheel drive helping to keep it frugal. Volkswagen claims it will use 6.3 litres of petrol per 100km. During this first, somewhat limited drive in and around Canberra and the surrounding hills, we recorded 6.9L/100km.

The T-Roc 140TSI R-Line has a claimed consumption figure of 7.3L/100km, and even with some spirited running we returned 7.8L/100km, although much of that was on open roads and only a small amount included urban driving.

Both T-Roc grades require 95-octane premium unleaded fuel as a minimum.

The entry to the range, the T-Roc 110TSI Style feels like the best all-rounder pick for anyone looking for – as the name suggests – a sense of style more so than outright performance. That’s not to sell the base T-Roc short, however. It is capable and well balanced, but more at home on commuter duty.

The 1.4-litre turbocharged engine offers a decent 110kW and a helpful 250Nm. That latter torque figure, on tap from 1500 to 3500rpm, is ideally placed to keep things on the boil in city traffic.

The engine pairs with an eight-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels. All-wheel drive isn’t really lacking in this layout either.

Around town, the fixed-rate suspension copes well with speed humps and road surface changes – but that said, our drive route was on the incredibly well-maintained streets of Canberra, where bumps and potholes are the exception, not the rule.

Out of town, the 110TSI engine still has no trouble keeping pace on freeways, but needs a decided prod for a burst of acceleration. Ride quality errs on the firm side on rural roads. Not abrupt, but not pillowy-soft by any means.

Heading onto mixed tarmac surfaces, there’s some road noise to accompany the journey, but nothing too obtrusive.

Step out of the 110TSI and into the 140TSI and there’s a noticeable change of character. Not only does the 2.0-litre turbo engine pack more punch (with 140kW and 320Nm), but there’s a slick-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and all-wheel drive as well.

As a result, the T-Roc R-Line drives like a warm hatch. Sporty enough to get stuck into a winding hillside road, but still sedate enough to be easy to live with in the cut and thrust of daily driving.

Around town, there were a few moments where the driveline didn’t always deliver as expected, usually when moving from coasting to accelerating. Here the transmission would pause and slowly feed power back in, where in the same situations the eight-speed auto in the Style would simply hook up and go.

All of the cars Volkswagen had on test for the launch drive were equipped with the optional Black Style Package, which not only adds a black appearance package, but also brings 19-inch alloy wheels and adaptive suspension, changing the driving experience somewhat.

Without a ‘standard’ car on hand to measure against, it’s hard to say how significant these changes are. There are definitely three different characters between Comfort, Normal and Sport modes. As well as adjusting the suspension, there are also changes to the way the steering and adaptive cruise control respond too.

The ride in Comfort mode is quite plush, especially considering the low-profile tyres underfoot. Normal mode is quite a bit firmer, and on most roads it’s balanced but can get jittery on rough surfaces. Sport suspension is, for me, just a little too stiff for most situations. It feeds most road imperfections back into the cabin, and is really best saved for those ‘just so’ ribbons of tarmac.

The Bridgestone Potenza S001 tyres are, honestly, much more serious than they need to be. Still, it’s not like Volkswagen has scrimped here. VW has positioned the R-Line as the sporty step in the range (leaving space for the more ferocious T-Roc R) and it delivers.

Some sporty compromises mean that road noise picks up markedly in the T-Roc R-Line. High-speed trips and coarse tarmac kick up a significant amount of tyre roar.

Between the Style and R-Line variants, as well as the driveline changes, the rear suspension moves from a torsion beam rear axle in the Style, to a more sophisticated multi-link independent rear in the R-Line. I’d be lying if I said there were any genuine benefit to one over the other in 99 per cent of driving.

For sedate stuff, the simpler Style doesn’t give away anything in terms of its ability to hold the road and keep occupants comfortable (in fact, it may be superior on the latter point). If you are seeking a degree of driving thrills to go with your compact SUV, however, the R-Line does feel worthy of the upgrade, albeit at a slight cost to overall commuter-friendliness.

Volkswagen’s updated T-Roc range may not look dramatically different at first glance, but dig a little deeper and you’ll see the driver assist and infotainment revisions made a worthwhile impact.

The updated interior should be enough to get most people over the line, looking fresh and modern, while maintaining a degree of simple functionality. As for how the T-Roc range drives, it’s much like before, which is no bad thing. Volkswagen’s secure roadholding and keen steering translate well to the T-Roc.

For anyone seeking to cover cross-country distances in a T-Roc R-Line, it may not be the best choice, but for car-like comfort and handling in most scenarios, the T-Roc is hard to top.