VW Continues CUV Exploration With T-ROC Concept

Volkswagen continues its exploration of the CUV market with the T-ROC concept ready to roll out on the floor of next week’s Geneva auto show.

The German automaker has committed to building in North America in 2016 a new midsize CUV based on its CrossBlue concept that bowed at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The T-ROC is another in a string of show cars around that theme shown since the CrossBlue broke cover that includes the CrossBlue Coupe concept unveiled in China last year.

This time VW is going all-out in a sporty direction with the low-profile, 2-door T-ROC, punctuated by its removable 2-piece roof, bold grille and aggressive, round headlamps with integrated LEDs and cameras. The cameras follow the vehicle’s steering to beam pictures of the road back to the center console so the driver can see debris or potholes in the road and avoid them.

Overhangs are kept to a minimum both front and rear.

Derived from VW’s MQB platform that underpins the Golf, the vehicle is powered by a 181-hp, 2.0L TDI turbodiesel linked with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Power is delivered to all four wheels through VW’s 4MOTION system and can be driven in three modes: Street, Offroad and Snow.

Instrumentation is all-digital, and a portable tablet that locks into the dashboard is used for the infotainment display.

The T-ROC 4-seater measures 164.5 ins. (4,179 mm) long, 72.1 ins. (1,831 mm) wide and 59.1 ins. (1,501 mm) high, with a wheelbase of 102.2 ins. (2,595 mm). It weighs 3,130 lbs. (1,420 kg).