There’s a new breed of SUVs around the corner and the upcoming VW T-Roc R is a perfect example. We’re talking about non-luxury performance SUVs, a category that’s going to expand massively over the coming years.
While previous scoops featured test mules, we can now show you the first spy shots of VW’s hot compact SUV wearing the final production body. Snapped on and around the Nürburgring Nordschleife where VW is currently testing it, the T-Roc R is covered completely in camouflage but that doesn’t prevent us from spotting some key styling upgrades.
Chief among those are the bigger wheels and brake discs, as well as the quad exhaust tips and the extended roof spoiler. The T-Roc R obviously benefits from a lower and stiffer suspension too compared to the standard model, not to mention the pair of more aggressive bumpers — with larger air intakes at the front and a diffuser at the rear.
The front grille features a honeycomb pattern, and the prototype also features LED headlights and taillights, which will probably be fitted as standard on the R-badged T-Roc. Look closely and you’ll also see a roll cage, but that’s for testing purposes only.
As with the mechanically-related Golf R, the VW T-Roc R will feature the same 2.0-liter TSI turbocharged gasoline engine rated at 310 PS (306 hp) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque. A seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission and the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system should be standard as well.
More importantly, however, VW’s promise to make the T-Roc R more fun to drive than the standard model seems to stand — just look at the photo where the test driver applies some opposite lock in a tight corner. Expect the VW T-Roc R to debut this fall, but it remains to be seen whether that will happen at the Paris Motor Show or not.