VW T-Roc 1.0 TSI is fun to drive and cheap to operate

Volkswagen expects the T-Roc to become one of its best-selling models, competing in the highly competive small SUV segment.

The T-Roc sits below the Touareg, seven-seat Tiguan Allspace and five-seat Tiguan in the VW line-up, with room beneath it for the forthcoming Volkswagen T-Cross.

It arrives in a growing sector, which was arguably defined by the Nissan Juke in 2010, and has recent new arrivals with the Citroën C3 Aircross, Hyundai Kona, Kia Stonic and Seat Arona.

We sampled some high-end versions last year, but now we've driven the the more popular 1.0 TSI version.

The three-cylinder petrol engine develops 115PS and has CO2 emissions of 119g/km, which will appeal to low-mileage company car drivers as it avoids the diesel supplement on benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax as well as the P11D price premium.

Drivers can expect to pay around £1,000 per year in company car tax - £250 less than the diesel.

For a business, the running costs are 3p per mile lower too.

The perky engine’s 148Nm of torque at 2,000rpm gives it a diesel-like feel in the mid-range and at lower engine speeds the refinement is high.

The T-Roc’s solid and purposeful exterior design lends itself well to the current ‘born confident’ TV advertising campaign, while inside looks smart and high quality.

But, while everything looks like it belongs in an upmarket car, the dashboard and doors don’t have soft-touch materials on the upper elements, where you might have expected to find them elsewhere in the Volkswagen range.

Customers can still enjoy other elements of the Volkswagen range though, with LED headlights, adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist all available.

The T-Roc is roomier than a typical small car, and provides a good degree of comfort boosted by the high-riding cabin.

There’s a good combination of comfort and driving pleasure, as the T-Roc offers user-friendliness around town and agility on high-speed roads away from urban sprawls.

While the car is very easy to drive, it does have a degree of dynamism with nimble handling and little body roll.

The T-Roc offers strong user-chooser appeal for drivers in this category because of the brand perception, but its attractiveness has greater depth than badge alone, and highly competitive running costs should also make it a rational choice.

Model tested: Volkswagen T-Roc 1.0 TSI SE