T-Roc, the "vitaminized" version R arrives. Volkswagen's compact 300 hp SUV

NICE – Even at high performance: the T-Roc, Volkswagen's compact suv, arrives in version R. That is a declination little less than "explosive" capable of splashing in 4.8 seconds from 0 to 100 thanks to the launch control ( even standard and combined with the double clutch 7-speed DSG transmission expressly re-calibrated) and reach 250 times. At least in Italy it is not clear to whom and what it is used for, but in countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Austria the builder knows with certainty that there are customers willing to put their wallet in hand for such a version. It is a model with few rivals: perhaps the Mini Countryman "exaggerated" Jcw (306 hp) and the Juke in Nismo declination, if the Japanese company will decide to propose it again with the new generation.

With its 300 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque (already starting at 2,000 rpm), those guaranteed by the tried and tested 2.0-liter Tfsi turbocharged petrol engine, the T-Roc R moves towards new market horizons: Volkswagen has other “R” models, for which development was entrusted to the man who made it triumph in the World Rally Championship, Jost Capito. To guarantee the performance, the SUV has a lowered trim of 20 millimeters: at least in theory a clear contradiction, given that the height from the ground would be one of the distinctive features of such models. But it has long been known that customers in this segment are more interested in appearance than substance.

And there is no doubt that the T-Roc R has one and also the other. Aesthetically, the high-performance compact SUV (4.23 meters in length) has a specific roof spoiler in the same color as the bodywork, contrast underbody protections and pronounced black wheel arches. The high-performance brake calipers are also black, naturally branded "R". The R-Line package on request contributes to increasing the already important personality of this suv which, among other things, can also be equipped with the R performance titanium exhaust system by Akrapovič: the system has unique lines and is even lighter than 7 kilograms. Both the standard and the optional one are four terminals (the optional ones are oval).

The T-Roc R arrives on the market with progressive steering, 4Motion all-wheel drive, with 19 "alloy wheels on which are mounted important 235/40 tires, with Full Led headlights with dynamic depth adjustment and with levers at the wheel. The standard equipment is no less than important, but the price is the same: 44,000 euros. The boot capacity (starting from 392 liters) is identical to that of the "standard" version. The company consists in driving without being fined for speeding and approaching even more realistic consumption data, which in the Wltp cycle vary between 8.6 and 8.8 l / 100 km. A true undertaking, given that the Provencal streets of the natural park are accompanied by curves that seem to be brushed specifically for this machine, whose weight is about 200 kilograms higher than that of the lighter "standard" version. The driving modes are basically 10, because each of the five settings can also be declined in the "S" version. And the difference is felt.