Volkswagen only recently released its T-Roc small SUV, but is already planning radical changes. How radical? Well, how about chopping the roof off it?
Yes, Wolfsburg has green-lit the T-Roc cabriolet. No, we’re not joking; it’s not April 1st and that’s an official concept render.
Crossover SUVs are big business, certainly. Around a third of all cars sold worldwide are now crossovers; Volkswagen itself has sold nearly three-quarters of a million Tiguans. With 40,000 orders for the T-Roc since launch, it’s moving well by itself. Volkswagen wants to step up the model’s appeal with a convertible.
It’s not the first time a manufacturer has taken a plasma cutter to an SUV’s roof. The most recent example was Land Rover’s Evoque, which didn’t exactly sell in huge numbers. Prior to that there was the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet, itself not well received. However, both were much larger; the T-Roc would be the first modern C-segment crossover convertible.
Volkswagen already showed off a concept for the vehicle at last year’s Geneva Motor Show. The T-Cross Breeze was slightly smaller — by around four inches — but has very similar styling and proportions to the concept image.
The T-Cross Breeze used a 108hp, 1.0-liter petrol turbo engine. That was enough to push the 2,750lb crossover to 60mph in 10.1 seconds. It’s likely that the T-Roc will use a wider range of engines, similar to those in the Golf. This includes a 187hp, 2.0-liter currently found in the T-Roc hardtop, paired to 4Motion four-wheel drive. A GTI version is possible, and Volkswagen is reportedly working on a 300hp R version of the fixed-roof T-Roc.
Volkswagen has invested $100m into production of the T-Roc, at the Osnabruck plant. That factory current assembles the Tiguan and Porsche Cayman, producing an average of 40,000 vehicles a year — hitting 76,000 last year. Volkswagen aims to produce 20,000 cabriolet T-Roc models a year at Osnabruck.
The T-Roc convertible is due in the first half of 2020.
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