Volkswagen has unveiled a facelifted version of the T-Roc in the UAE and we got to try it - not just any T-Roc, we got to lay our hands on the sporty R-Line. The big question is: is it the most value for money crossover on the market?
The facelift has given the baseline T-Roc and other variants a sharper exterior and some updates on the interior but the R-Line trim takes the specifications to another level. Mind you, the R-Line specification is available on two trims: Life and Style.
You can get detailed information about the specs, features and powertrain options of the VW T-Roc R Line from our very own Fadi Habr here:
Exterior
To start with, it gets the whole R-Line exterior package. Looking at the exterior, you shall see that it has the Logo projection at the entrance - a feature we need in every car because we love it - along with contrasting colours between the roof and the car.
The fun bit about speccing a T-Roc, you can choose between 9 colours for the whole exterior and also customise the roof by choosing between 3 different colours, separately. Now THAT is very cool.
One more thing we liked about the exterior of the T-Roc R Line is that it has functional air vents, and not fake like some other cars. The car gets 21st century gizmo stuff like keyless car entry and sits on silver with black 19” Misano Alloy Wheels.
Interior
Step inside and you will find a 9.2” infotainment screen to greet you as well as a leather steering wheel. Everything is controlled via touch buttons, it’s got a panoramic sunroof, adjustable leg support, Wireless smartphone charging and a 6 Beats audio system. In the middle you get a small storage compartment, a wireless phone charger, 2 USB inputs and the typical VW gear lever.
With the R-Line interior package, it has stuff like sports seats, stiffer suspension, switchable driver profiles and heated front seats.
Oh, and before we forget to tell you, the infotainment system supports AppleCarplay, Android Auto, reverse parking camera and a mirror link through the AppConnect.
At the back, the seats are sufficient for mid sized people, and have enough legroom for 2, sitting 3 people in there might be a squeeze. A very good thing are the 2 A/C vents at the back to keep the rear passengers cooled. Gut gemacht! (as they say in German).
Talking about the back seats, our road tester was around 180cm tall and he did find it comfortable but if you’re any taller, then you would have to ask the driver to adjust his seat a little bit.
Safety features
Volkswagen has once again showed its commitment towards safety by giving the T-Roc an emergency assistance system that is “designed to control the vehicle if the driver is not able to do so.” Basically, if the sensors in the car detect no steering, braking or acceleration activity, then it starts a number of escalations - first of which will be trying to wake the driver up through steering jerks and will conclude by initiating an emergency stop.
Another feature, which is exclusive to the UAE right now, is the e-call system which provides an automated message to the emergency services following a road crash which includes the precise crash location.
Ride and Handling
Under the bonnet, the T-Roc R Line has a 1.4 Turbo 4 cylinder that produces 150 horsepower and 250 NM of torque. All this performance is there when you need it, the quick acceleration and oomph of power is very much on offer.
In terms of noise insulation, it’s not that great at high speeds, for example around 120 - 140 km/h, on the highway, it’s gonna get a little bit noisy, but it’s not that exaggerated noise that you would think of it. Just raise the music a little bit and these BEATS speakers will save you. But at a speed of 50-90 km/h, city driving, it’s just completely quiet.
As far as ride quality is concerned, the T-Roc R-Line is a bit on the stiff side but it does absorb those mini city bumpers quite well.
Let’s get to the wallet tingling bit: the fuel efficiency. You must be thinking - does all this performance come at the cost of more fuel consumption? The answer to that is no, because during our testing we recorded the T-Roc R Line consuming an average of 6.3 litres/100km. This is a very impressive figure compared to the car’s rivals in the market.
For the base T-Roc R-Line, one will have to pay 92,600 AED but the fully specced R-Line car will cost you 143,300 AED and it’ll come with 3 years/unlimited mileage.
