After numerous spy shots and reports, Volkswagen has provided official confirmation that it is indeedworking on the T-Roc R.
This comes in the form of a teaser video shot at the Nurburgring, which shows the upcoming sporty compact SUV being tested in the hands of pro racing drivers.
Wearing its production body, albeit still covered in camouflage, the hot derivative of the T-Roc rides lower to the ground and gets a sporty body kit along withy quad exhaust tips.
The highlight, however, is the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. The TSI unit is shared with the Golf R, and said to produce 310 PS (306 hp / 228 kW) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque.
Nevertheless, we wouldn’t be surprised if it actually produces 10 PS (10 hp / 7 kW) less, as the hot hatch’s unit was de-tuned last year to meet the WLTP requirements – a theory that is is reinforced by the fact that its Spanish ‘cousin’, the Cupra Ateca, also has 300 PS (296 hp / 221 kW) available from the same lump.
Regardless of the final numbers, output will be channeled to the 4Motion all-wheel drive system through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Performance should be close to that of the Cupra Ateca, so it should sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a little over 5 seconds, and will probably go all the way up to 250 km/h (155 mph).
The T-Roc R is believed to be a few months away from arriving in showrooms, so we wouldn’t be surprised if Volkswagen brings it to the 2019 Geneva Motor Show in March.