Volkswagen T-Roc

THE T-Roc isn’t as big as the Karoq, and the difference between the two is similar to that between the Golf and the Octavia. However, that hasn’t stopped the VW from being a sales success.

So far in 2023, the T-Roc is the only model in either brand’s line-ups to break into the top 10 of the UK’s new-car sales charts, and the allure is clear as soon as you dive into the numbers. Match the three-year PCP figures to the already competitively priced Golf on the previous page, and the entry-level T-Roc comes to £279 per month – £25 per month less than the Golf for a car with the same 108bhp 1.0-litre TSI petrol.

In many ways, it feels like you’re getting more car for less cash. While its footprint is shorter and more compact on the road than a Golf ’s, the T-Roc’s taller roofline means that there’s more space for the driver and passengers inside, and at 445 litres, the boot is larger, too.

The VW offers the high-riding style that is so popular with buyers at the moment, but the way it drives on the road isn’t significantly compromised for it. The ride is very slightly firmer than the Golf ’s, but it remains composed and refined enough to be very pleasurable to live with every day.

Skoda does have an alternative in the form of the Kamiq. It has plenty of space and is decent value for money, but the T-Roc feels like a step up when it comes to quality and refinement.

The T-Roc range is more versatile, too. Front and four-wheel-drive options are available, and engines range from that 1.0 TSI right the way through to the fire-breathing, 296bhp T-Roc R.