16 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 AUGUST 2019
Fabric roof drops into a well
b e h i n d th e r e a r se ats i n 9se c
V
olkswagen is carving
itself a new niche with
the unveiling of the
T-Roc Cabriolet, the only
mainstream crossover with a
fully convertible roof.
Claimed to bring an
“extroverted and emotive
design” to the brand’s range, it
indirectly replaces the Golf and
Beetle cabriolets and will bear
the burden of being the only
drop-top Volkswagen for the
foreseeable future. It’s due to
g o o n s a l e e a r l y n ex t ye a r af te r
a Frankfurt motor show public
debut in September, with first
deliveries in the spring.
Far from chopping the roof
off a standard T-Roc, the
cabriolet’s body and structure
are mostly new, with 37mm
added to the wheelbase and
a 34mm increase in overall
length. As well as the absence
of rear doors and a unique
rear-end design, there is
structural strengthening in the
underbody, windscreen frame,
side panels, cross members
and doors. Engineers are
confident that it would achieve
a similar five-star score as the
hard-top T-Roc in Euro NCAP
crash tests.
The soft-top itself features a
mechanism similar in concept
to the outgoing Golf Cabriolet’s,
with the roof stowing in an
exposed compartment above
the boot rather than under a
p a n e l. T h i s a l l ow s i t to b e o n e
of the fastest-opening roofs
on sale, retracting in just nine
seconds via a switch on the
centre console or the key at
vehicle speeds of up to 19mph.
The T-Roc Cabriolet’s roof
design is also space efficient,
allowing for two usable rear
seats with enough leg and
head room for six-footers to be
VW T-Roc opens up new niche
Cabriolet gets bespoke
bodywork and uses 1.
and 1.5 petrol enginesT-Roc Cabriolet, one of a kind in the market, will arrive next year at “well below £30k”
Q&A JURGEN STACKMANN, VW BOARD MEMBER FOR SALES, MARKETING, AFTERSALES
There’s lots of talk about this
car being an expression of
Volkswagen’s emotive side,
rather than a pure business
decision. Is that the case?
“The concept only has
reason to exist because
of that. The convertible is
the ultimate expression of
emotional mobility. It’s got
lost in the last few years.
The [sales] momentum for
convertibles is over.
“The opportunity to
combine what people
really want now – a C-UV
[C-segment utility vehicle]
– with a cabriolet that has a
long-standing tradition in the
Volkswagen brand was a great
opportunity. For us, it had to
look good, so we decided after
seeing the first prototype to
build it. From a rational side,
you would never go into the
cabriolet market.”
W i l l t h i s b e t h e o n l y
convertible model from
Volkswagen that we’ll be
seeing for now?
“Purely from a convertible
point of view, that’s our
car. It’s meant to please
customers in the UK and
Germany [the two biggest
drop-top markets]. If there’s
anything ‘open’, it’ll be very
different. It’ll be things we’ve
discussed like the ID Buggy.”
Will you do an R version of the
T-Roc Cabriolet?
“ R i s a b o u t h i g h p owe r,
high performance and four-
wheel drive, and we don’t
think any of those are right
for this. It would have very
limited appeal on the market,
so we won’t.”
ORDER BOOKS OPEN FOR THE NEW CLIO
Renault’s new Clio is available to order now, priced
from £14,295. It comes in four trim levels: Play,
Iconic, S Edition and RS Line. Engines include a
75bhp 1.0 non-turbo petrol, 99bhp and 129bhp 1.
turbo petrols and 84bhp and 114bhp 1.5 diesels.
ALL-ELECTRIC 208 TO KICK OFF AT £ 25 K