Volkswagen Premiere New T-Roc Cabriolet at Frankfurt Motor Show
The Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet, which is due to launch in 2020, will hit the market as the only fully convertible compact SUV available, and has recently been unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
It will be the only convertible available from VW, and designers have described it as being “emotive” and “extroverted”. It will certainly be a niche vehicle, but it will be ideal for those that need the practicality of a compact SUV but still want the excitement of a drop-top. What's more, the features and the extras inside this unique vehicle really do stand out as impressive.
The Roof
Rather than being a standard T-Roc with the roof removed, the cabriolet version has been built virtually from the ground up. It is a little longer and has a larger wheelbase than the hard-top version.
The roof has been designed to sit behind the rear seats, in a compartment above the boot. This means that there is still room in the back for two adults and room in the boot for their bags, although the space available will be smaller than in the standard T-Roc. With the roof down, you will still get a 284-litre boot capacity. The roof retracts in just under 9 seconds and can be operated at speeds of up to 18mph.
What's more, VW has added rollover protection which pops up in a fraction of a second and offers protection to the driver and passengers. The windscreen has been reinforced, and there has been additional reinforcing around the whole car. Engineers have said that they are sure it will get the same safety rating as the hardtop version. Because of the lack of a hard roof, there will only be two doors.
Engines and Variants
Because there will be limited appeal, the engineers have said that there will not be a diesel version of the vehicle available. Nor will there be an R version, although there will be an R Trim version available.
The cabriolet will offer either a 1.0 litre three-cylinder engine or the more powerful 1.5 litre four-cylinder engine, developing 113bhp and 148bhp respectively. The smaller engine will only be available with a 6-speed gearbox, but there is the option for a 7 speed, dual clutch version of the bigger engine.
Inside the VW T-Roc Cabriolet
Inside the car, there will be a surprising amount of space for a convertible. There will be plenty of room for four fully grown adults, and plenty of high-tech features that are becoming standard in VW models.
It will have a permanent Internet connection and an infotainment console with a screen measuring up to 8 inches, depending on the extras chosen. There's also a digital instrument cluster, which not only shows your speed and tip details but can also show a conveniently situated satellite navigation map.
Although exact prices have not yet been announced, VW bosses have said that they will start at “well under £30,000”, with most expecting it to cost around £28,000. It will only cost a little more than the standard version, and a lot less than other similar models of vehicle.
To keep up to to date with the development of the T-roc keep an eye on our news and also stay connected at Sinclair Volkswagen!
