Volkswagen T-Roc review

The great news is that the Volkswagen T-Roc’s cheapest engine is rather good. The 1.0 TSI 110 is a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder unit with 109bhp, and gives you plenty of low-down shove so it rarely struggles in everyday driving. The 11sec 0-60mph time achieved in our tests may seem casual, but you’ll rarely feel left behind. Of its rivals, only the Ford Puma offers more oomph for the money. The 148bhp 1.5 TSI 150 T-Roc has extra power to make overtaking easier, but does cost more to buy.

If you avoid entry-level Life trim, you’ll be able to have the even more powerful 2.0 TSI 190 engine with 4Motion four-wheel drive. It can officially sprint from 0-62mph in 6.8sec, which is two seconds faster than even the top-spec Audi Q2 Vorsprung 35 TFSI S Tronic. There's an even quicker sports SUV version – see our VW T-Roc R review for that.

With that in mind, we’d save a few pounds by avoiding the pricier trims that come with bigger 17in wheels, which make the ride knobblier. R-Line is one to avoid if you value ride comfort, because it adds stiffer sports suspension.

We’d also avoid the optional Dynamic Chassis Control. It lets you soften or firm up the ride to suit your mood (or the road), but the differences are subtle and the system isn’t cheap, so we wouldn’t bother adding it.

You rarely get something for nothing and, sure enough, the price you pay for the T-Roc’s forgiving ride is more body lean through corners than in some small SUV rivals. Around town, though, that makes little difference, and it's a light and easy car to drive through the cityscape.