What is it?

A premium compact SUV with a coupe-like profile – VW’s words not mine – that’s rugged enough to face down even the toughest little kids. It slots in below the Tiguan and above the forthcoming T-Cross. It’s available with a number of personalisation options to help ramp up its kerb appeal with a choice of bold exterior colours with contrast roof and colour-coded inserts in the doors, the fascia and gear selector surround. It’s up against stiff competition – not least from the group’s own Seat Ateca, Audi Q2 and Skoda Karoq – as well as Toyota’s intriguingly-styled C-HR and, of course, the car that started the crossover ball rolling, the Qashqai.

There’s a wide choice of petrol and diesel engines. If unleaded is your poison you can pick from 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0-litre power plants with 114, 148 and 187bhp respectively. The popularity of oil burners may have waned in recent years but the brand’s excellent 1.6 and 2.0-litre TDIs are available with 114bhp and 148bhp. There are five trim levels - S, SE, Design, SE L and R-Line – to choose from and, depending on your engine choice, automatic transmission and four-wheel-drive is also on the options list.

What’s it like?

The styling is certainly rakish, with a roofline that tapers away sharply to meet the sharply angled boot, and while comparing it to a coupe might be a bit of a stretch, it is certainly endowed with a more dynamic, sporty look than is common in this class. The front, while not completely hiding its VW heritage, does mix things up a little with a trapezoidal grille with a chrome surround that flows out to incorporate the headlight assembly. The daytime running lights – which also incorporate the indicators, have been cleverly integrated into the bumper.

That wide grille gives it a planted, wide stance that helps to enhance its billing as a sportier crossover.

It sits on the firm’s MQB chassis but, within its segment, is relatively compact with an overall length that’s 129mm shorter than its Seat sibling.

Behind the wheel

One of the many factors driving the crossover boon is the commanding view of the road that they provide, much like a full-size SUV but with a hatchback-sized footprint, and the T-Roc follows that trend. Visibility is, in fact, excellent all-round and, thanks to plenty of flexibility in the seat and steering wheel, it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position.

All the controls are logically laid out and are within easy reach but, while on the whole the cabin feels every inch as well put together as any other VW, where you would normally expect to find plush, tactile materials there’s a smattering of hard plastics across the dash and door tops.

The T-Roc is equipped with an 8in touchscreen to satisfy your infotainment cravings. It’s flanked by touch-sensitive buttons and a pair of analogue dials. It’s intuitive and responsive with crisp, clear graphics while the sat nav provides easy to follow instructions.

Ride and handling

While some of the more expensive models allow you to change some of the driver settings with the Dynamic Chassis Control, my test car had coil springs all round. It’s a comfortable car and does an excellent job of absorbing bumps without succumbing to any wallowing along undulating roads.

That’s not to say that body control is impeccable because through corners you’ll still notice a degree of lean though well within the bounds of what might be deemed uncomfortable. The variable ratio steering is quick and there’s plenty of grip to exploit at the front end – the T-Roc is also available with the firm’s 4motion all-wheel-drive transmission – that allows you to carry a reasonable amount of speed into a corner, should the fancy take you.

It’s a doddle to drive around urban environments. Its compact dimensions, excellent all-round visibility and reasonable tight turning circle mean it’s easy to manoeuvre and park. Should you require a little more help there is parking assist tech available on the options list.

Performance and refinement

There’s a choice of three petrol and two diesel engines: The former available in 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0-litre capacity and the latter in 1.6 and 2.0-litre guises.

Under the bonnet of my Design-spec test car was the smallest capacity petrol engine with 115PS and 200Nm of turning force available. It’s sprightly and doesn’t feel at all overwhelmed or out of place in the small crossover.

The passenger space is very well insulated. There’s a familiar three-cylinder thrum from the small motor under hard acceleration but it’s pleasant, enthusiastic note that’s in keeping with the engine’s light-hearted, fun personality.

It pulls well through the gears – the six-speed manual is slick and precise – thanks to a decent spread of torque. You can expect to change down when you’re in a hurry to overtake but it maintains forward momentum well when faced with a steep climb.

Practicality

The T-Roc is about the same size as a Golf - marginally shorter but wider and taller in fact – and that additional volume is put to good use, creating some welcome space allowing a pair of six-footers to ride in tandem and the wide rear bench can accommodate three abreast in reasonable comfort.

The doors open nice and wide and the higher seating position makes it far more accessible than a standard family hatch.

Front seat passengers will find that they are well catered for in the space stakes. There’s ample head and legroom and the seats are firm but comfortable and provide plenty of support.

The boot offers 445 litres of luggage space, compared to the 380 in a Golf, and it’s a decent shape with a flat floor that’s level with the lip of the boot, so loading items in and out should present very few problems.

The rear seats fold in a convenient 60:40 split and, with them stowed away completely, boot capacity rises to 1,290 litres.

Verdict

The T-Roc ticks all the compact crossover boxes and a few neat little touches all of its own. It’s suitably robust-looking but with a rakishness others in the segment lack. It isn’t cheap, but it’s fair to say that buyers with and VW on their lists aren’t balked by the idea of paying a premium price for a premium product and, aside from a few questionable plastic, that’s exactly what VW have delivered.

VW T-Roc Design 1.0 TSI 115PS 6spd manual

Price: £21,320

As tested: £24,620

Engine: 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged

Transmission: 6-speed manual

Max power: 115PS

Max torque: 200Nm @ 2,000rpm

Max speed: 116mph

Acceleration (0-62mph): 10.1 seconds

Urban: 46.3mpg

Extra-urban: 62.8mpg

Combined: 55.4mpg

Emissions (CO2): 117g/km

For more information visit www.vw.co.uk